- Home to LMIC
- Virtual Labor Market Data System
- Career Exploration & Planning
- Consumer Price Index
- Demographics
- Economic Snapshot
- Employee Benefits
- Employment Projections
- Labor Force & Unemployment
- Labor Supply
- Overview of the Current Labor Market
- Surveys We Conduct
- Wages & Income
- Workers by Industry
- Tools & Resources
- Publications
- References
- What's New
- Can't Find It?
Labor Market Information Center
Economic Snapshot
Labor force and nonfarm industry employment data for September 2025 forward was delayed due to the recent suspension of federal government services, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Please visit our release dates page for more information. As always, the tables below include the most current data available.
| South Dakota and United States Labor Force Seasonally Adjusted |
|||||
| November 2025 |
October 2025 |
November 2024 |
Percent Change | ||
| Last Month |
Last Year |
||||
| United States | |||||
| Labor Force | 171,571,000 | NA | 168,304,000 | NA | 1.9% |
| Employment | 163,741,000 | NA | 161,183,000 | NA | 1.6% |
| Unemployment | 7,831,000 | NA | 7,121,000 | NA | 10.0% |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.6% | NA | 4.2% | ||
| NA - Not Available. October 2025 labor force data will not be published. Household survey data from the Current Population Survey (key in labor force estimates) could not be collected for the October 2025 reference period due to the lapse in appropriations. The household survey data is not able to be retroactively collected. | |||||
| September 2025 |
August 2025 |
September 2024 |
Percent Change | ||
| Last Month |
Last Year |
||||
| South Dakota | |||||
| Labor Force | 492,400 | 492,700 | 490,500 | -0.1% | 0.4% |
| Employment | 482,700 | 483,300 | 481,400 | -0.1% | 0.3% |
| Unemployment | 9,700 | 9,400 | 9,100 | 3.2% | 6.6% |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.0% | 1.9% | 1.8% | ||
| South Dakota Nonfarm Wage and Salary Employment Seasonally Adjusted |
|||||
| September 2025 |
August 2025 |
September 2024 |
Percent Change | ||
| Last Month |
Last Year |
||||
| Total Nonfarm | 473,000 | 471,000 | 468,600 | 0.4% | 0.9% |
| Mining, Logging and Construction | 32,200 | 32,100 | 30,700 | 0.3% | 4.9% |
| Mining and Logging | 1,300 | 1,300 | 1,300 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Construction | 30,900 | 30,800 | 29,400 | 0.3% | 5.1% |
| Manufacturing | 43,900 | 44,000 | 44,900 | -0.2% | -2.2% |
| Durable Goods | 27,500 | 27,500 | 27,800 | 0.0% | -1.1% |
| Non-Durable Goods | 16,400 | 16,500 | 17,100 | -0.6% | -4.1% |
| Trade, Transportation and Utilities | 92,700 | 92,200 | 92,500 | 0.5% | 0.2% |
| Wholesale Trade | 22,700 | 22,700 | 22,500 | 0.0% | 0.9% |
| Retail Trade | 54,600 | 54,100 | 54,400 | 0.9% | 0.4% |
| Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities | 15,400 | 15,400 | 15,600 | 0.0% | -1.3% |
| Information | 5,300 | 5,200 | 5,100 | 1.9% | 3.9% |
| Financial Activities | 27,800 | 27,600 | 27,400 | 0.7% | 1.5% |
| Professional and Business Services | 38,800 | 38,700 | 37,500 | 0.3% | 3.5% |
| Private Education and Health Services | 79,900 | 79,300 | 79,500 | 0.8% | 0.5% |
| Private Educational Services | 7,100 | 7,000 | 7,500 | 1.4% | -5.3% |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 72,800 | 72,300 | 72,000 | 0.7% | 1.1% |
| Leisure and Hospitality | 49,900 | 49,700 | 50,300 | 0.4% | -0.8% |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 19,100 | 19,100 | 18,500 | 0.0% | 3.2% |
| Government | 83,400 | 83,100 | 82,200 | 0.4% | 1.5% |
| Federal Government | 11,400 | 11,400 | 11,800 | 0.0% | -3.4% |
| State Government | 19,200 | 19,200 | 18,400 | 0.0% | 4.3% |
| Local Government | 52,800 | 52,500 | 52,000 | 0.6% | 1.5% |
| Preliminary data; subject to revision. The published unemployment rate presented above may not equal the percentage calculated using the published unemployed and labor force figures presented above due to rounding. Source: Labor Market Information Center, South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation, in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |
|||||
| South Dakota Metro Area Labor Force Seasonally Adjusted |
|||||
| September 2025 |
August 2025 |
September 2024 |
Percent Change | ||
| Last Month |
Last Year |
||||
| Rapid City Metropolitan Statistical Area | |||||
| Labor Force | 81,000 | 81,000 | 80,500 | 0.0% | 0.6% |
| Employment | 79,500 | 79,500 | 79,100 | 0.0% | 0.5% |
| Unemployment | 1,600 | 1,500 | 1,500 | 6.7% | 6.7% |
| Unemployment Rate | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1.8% | ||
| Sioux Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area | |||||
| Labor Force | 177,000 | 177,000 | 175,900 | 0.0% | 0.6% |
| Employment | 173,600 | 173,700 | 172,800 | -0.1% | 0.5% |
| Unemployment | 3,400 | 3,200 | 3,100 | 6.3% | 9.7% |
| Unemployment Rate | 1.9% | 1.8% | 1.7% | ||
| Preliminary data; subject to revision. The published unemployment rate presented above may not equal the percentage calculated using the published unemployed and labor force figures presented above due to rounding. Source: Labor Market Information Center, South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation, in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |
|||||
See definitions of terms used above.
See release dates.