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Marcia Hultman

Cabinet Secretary

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Labor Market Information Center

November South Dakota statewide data just released

Please note: The following data release includes November 2024 seasonally adjusted statewide labor force and both seasonally adjusted and not seasonally adjusted statewide nonfarm data. The full release of November 2024 labor force and not seasonally adjusted nonfarm wage and salaried worker data for all areas will be December 27, with the publication of the December 2024 South Dakota e-Labor Bulletin. November 2024 not seasonally adjusted data will also be available in the virtual labor market data system at that time. The release of November 2024 seasonally adjusted labor force data for the two Metropolitan Statistical Areas is scheduled for Jan. 3, 2025.

Labor Force

Preliminary estimates show South Dakota's unemployment rate remained unchanged at 1.9% in November 2024. The labor force increased over the month by 1,200 workers (0.2%) to 486,200 workers. The level of unemployed stayed steady with 9,200 persons unemployed.

Seasonally Adjusted Labor Force
  November 2024   October 2024
Labor Force Employed Unemployed Rate Labor Force Employed Unemployed Rate
United States 168,286,000 161,141,000 7,145,000 4.2% 168,479,000 161,496,000 6,984,000 4.1%
South Dakota 486,200 477,000 9,200 1.9% 485,000 475,800 9,200 1.9%
Source: Labor Market Information Center, South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation, in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

South Dakota's November 2024 labor force of 486,200 increased compared to the November 2023 level of 481,700. The level of employed increased by 5,300 (1.1%); the number of unemployed decreased by 700 persons (7.1%). The unemployment rate decreased 0.2% to 1.9%.

Seasonally Adjusted Labor Force
  November 2024   November 2023
Labor Force Employed Unemployed Rate Labor Force Employed Unemployed Rate
United States 168,286,000 161,141,000 7,145,000 4.2% 168,127,000 161,866,000 6,262,000 3.7%
South Dakota 486,200 477,000 9,200 1.9% 481,700 471,700 9,900 2.1%
Source: Labor Market Information Center, South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation, in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

The unemployment rate represents the number of unemployed as a percentage of the labor force. People are classified as unemployed if they do not have jobs, have actively looked for work in the prior four weeks and are currently available for work. People who were not working and were waiting to be recalled to jobs from which they were temporarily laid off are also included as unemployed.

Note: 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.

Nonfarm wage & salaried workers

The November 2024 nonfarm worker data is preliminary and subject to revision.

Seasonally Adjusted

The seasonally adjusted nonfarm worker level decreased 700 workers (0.1%) over the month to 467,500 workers in November 2024. This loss is a result of declines in Manufacturing (300 workers or 0.7%) and Retail Trade (300 workers or 0.6%).

Over the year, the seasonally adjusted nonfarm worker level increased by 100 workers (0.0%), reaching to 467,500 workers in November 2024. This growth was the net result of a mixture of increases and decreases spread throughout the industries.

South Dakota
(Seasonally Adjusted)
  % Change From
  November*
2024		 October
2024 		November
2023		 Last
Month		 Last
Year
Total Nonfarm 467,500 468,200 467,400 -0.1 0.0
 Mining, Logging and Construction 32,100 32,200 30,800 -0.3 4.2
   Mining and Logging 1,200 1,200 1,300 0.0 -7.7
   Construction 30,900 31,000 29,500 -0.3 4.7
 Manufacturing 43,400 43,700 45,400 -0.7 -4.4
   Durable Goods   26,100 26,400 28,500 -1.1 -8.4
   Non-durable Goods 17,300 17,300 16,900 0.0 2.4
 Trade, Transportation and Utilities 91,800 92,400 92,400 -0.6 -0.6
   Wholesale Trade 22,500 22,600 22,700 -0.4 -0.9
   Retail Trade 53,800 54,100 53,800 -0.6 0.0
   Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities 15,500 15,700 15,900 -1.3 -2.5
 Information 5,000 5,100 5,000 -2.0 0.0
 Financial Activities 26,400 26,600 27,700 -0.8 -4.7
 Professional and Business Services 38,100 37,800 37,100 0.8 2.7
 Private Education and Health Services 78,600 78,700 77,800 -0.1 1.0
   Private Educational Services  7,900 7,800 7,900 1.3 0.0
   Health Care and Social Assistance 70,700 70,900 69,900 -0.3 1.1
 Leisure and Hospitality 50,300 50,500 50,700 -0.4 -0.8
 Other Services (except Public Administration) 18,300 18,100 18,600 1.1 -1.6
Government 83,500 83,100 81,900 0.5 2.0
  Federal Government 11,800 11,700 11,600 0.9 1.7
  State Government 18,700 18,500 18,200 1.1 2.7
  Local Government 53,000 52,900 52,100 0.2 1.7
Source: Labor Market Information Center, South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation, in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

The table above shows the seasonally adjusted data. A table displaying the not seasonally adjusted data can be found below. Visit our technical notes page for an explanation of seasonal adjustment.

Not Seasonally Adjusted

Over the month, the not seasonally adjusted nonfarm wage and salaried worker level decreased 2,400 workers (0.5%), dropping to 469,500 workers in November 2024. Seasonal declines in Leisure and Hospitality (2,200 workers) and Construction (700 workers) contributed to this loss. Worker level drops are common this time of year as many seasonal establishments (Construction and Leisure and Hospitality) reduce their workforce when the weather turns cold.

Over the year, the not seasonally adjusted worker level increased by 200 (0.0%) to 469,500 workers in November 2024. The largest number of workers were added within Government (1,700 workers or 2.0%), Construction (1,600 workers or 5.3%), and Professional and Business Services (900 workers or 2.4%).

South Dakota
(Not Seasonally Adjusted)
    % Change From
November*
2024		 October
2024 		November
2023		 Last
Month		 Last
Year
Total Nonfarm 469,500 471,900 469,300 -0.5 0.0
 Mining, Logging and Construction 32,900 33,600 31,400 -2.1 4.8
  Mining and Logging 1,200 1,200 1,300 0.0 -7.7
  Construction 31,700 32,400 30,100 -2.2 5.3
   Construction of Buildings 7,600 7,900 7,400 -3.8 2.7
   Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction 5,400 5,800 5,200 -6.9 3.8
   Specialty Trade Contractors 18,700 18,700 17,500 0.0 6.9
 Manufacturing 43,200 43,600 45,300 -0.9 -4.6
   Durable Goods 25,900 26,300 28,300 -1.5 -8.5
   Non-Durable Goods 17,300 17,300 17,000 0.0 1.8
 Trade, Transportation and Utilities 92,500 92,500 93,300 0.0 -0.9
   Wholesale Trade 22,500 22,700 22,800 -0.9 -1.3
   Retail Trade 54,100 53,800 54,100 0.6 0.0
   Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities 15,900 16,000 16,400 -0.6 -3.0
 Information 5,100 5,100 5,100 0.0 0.0
 Financial Activities 26,500 26,500 27,900 0.0 -5.0
 Professional and Business Services 38,400 38,200 37,500 0.5 2.4
 Private Education and Health Services 79,500 79,200 78,600 0.4 1.1
   Private Educational Services  8,600 8,400 8,500 2.4 1.2
   Health Care and Social Assistance 70,900 70,800 70,100 0.1 1.1
     Hospitals 28,900 28,900 28,300 0.0 2.1
 Leisure and Hospitality 48,100 50,300 48,400 -4.4 -0.6
 Other Services (except Public Administration) 18,500 18,300 18,700 1.1 -1.1
Government 84,800 84,600 83,100 0.2 2.0
  Federal Government 11,700 11,700 11,500 0.0 1.7
  State Government 19,700 19,300 19,100 2.1 3.1
     State Government Educational Services 10,300 10,100 10,200 2.0 1.0
  Local Government 53,400 53,600 52,500 -0.4 1.7
     Local Government Educational Services 29,500 29,400 29,000 0.3 1.7
Source: Labor Market Information Center, South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation, in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

*Note: All November 2024 data in the tables and narrative above is preliminary and subject to revision.

A more comprehensive overview of the labor market in November 2024, including substate labor force and nonfarm industry data, will be available December 27 in the South Dakota e-Labor Bulletin published on this website. To view the current e-Labor Bulletin, click on the large "e" on our home page or subscribe to receive an email notice when a new edition is available.