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Unemployment Rate in SD

Twister Frost

Well-known member
(I realize this is just one state, but it is my state. I also realize our 5.1% is lower than the national--but is a lot for our overall population.)

SD Unemployment Rate Hits 26 Year High

It's been 26 years since South Dakota has seen this many workers out of a job.

The South Dakota Department of Labor released its June unemployment statistics Wednesday, and the state's jobless rate continues to rise and now stands at 5.1 percent.

Jay Erickson has been looking for work for more than a month and thought a move to Sioux Falls would help him move his career forward.

"I lived in Aberdeen and then we decided we were going to move here thinking the employment will be a little more here, but its not very easy here either," Erickson said.

Erickson estimates he's applied for one hundred jobs in Sioux Falls, but doesn't have a paycheck to show for it. And now Erickson is moving his family again.

"We're going to move across the state to another town and try something else there," Erickson said.

The job market has been sluggish in South Dakota, with the unemployment rate going up every month since the start of the year. Sovia Dalle is one of those who joined the ranks of the unemployed when she was laid off from Raven Industries in April.

"Ever since then about two and a half months I've been kind of looking for jobs and no real luck," Dalle said.

It's a job market filled with lots of competition as more workers are losing their jobs.

"If you see an ad in the paper you have to hurry up right away or you're kind of out of luck," Dalle said.

Dalle says some businesses are starting to take some part-time applications which is an encouraging sign. But for many of the 22 thousand South Dakotans out of work that's not enough to pay the bills.

"I'd like to work and I'd like to have money to provide for my family and everything," Erickson said.

"Keep trying and don't give up. It will get better eventually," Dalle said.

The number of unemployed South Dakotans has risen every month since last July. The current jobless rate isn't that far off from the highest unemployment rate on record in the state, 5.9 percent, which was set back in October 1982.


Ben Dunsmoor
 

Twister Frost

Well-known member
Overview of the labor market in July 2008
Labor Supply
The number of South Dakotans who would be available to staff a new or expanding business, or
South Dakota's labor supply, was estimated at 69,605 in July. Included in this labor supply are
those who currently hold jobs (and would like to change) and those who, for a variety of reasons,
do not have jobs. (Click here for related data.)
Labor Force
South Dakota’s labor force of 433,600 in July was down from June. There were 13,400
unemployed in July, with an unemployment rate of 3.0 percent, up from June's 2.8 percent. (Click
here for related data.)
 

Mike

Well-known member
Since SD is probably a mostly agricultural state, this does not bode well for the AG industry in general.

"Buckwheat's Bust" has every state reeling, with a total loss of confidence doing as much damage as anything.

Let's hope it only lasts a couple of more years.
 
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