Marcia Hultman

Cabinet Secretary

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Labor Market Information Center

August South Dakota statewide data just released

Please note: The following data release includes August 2024 seasonally adjusted statewide labor force and both seasonally adjusted and not seasonally adjusted statewide nonfarm data. The full release of August 2024 labor force and not seasonally adjusted nonfarm wage and salaried worker data for all areas will be September 27, with the publication of the September 2024 South Dakota e-Labor Bulletin. August 2024 not seasonally adjusted data will also be available in the virtual labor market data system at that time. The release of August 2024 seasonally adjusted labor force data for the two Metropolitan Statistical Areas is scheduled for Oct. 2, 2024.

Labor Force

Preliminary estimates show South Dakota's unemployment rate remained unchanged at 2.0% in August 2024. The labor force increased over the month by 600 workers (0.1%) to 483,200 workers. The level of unemployed remained steady with 9,600 persons unemployed.

Seasonally Adjusted Labor Force
	August 2024				July 2024
	Labor Force	Employed	Unemployed	Rate	Labor Force	Employed	Unemployed	Rate
United States	168,549,000	161,434,000	7,115,000	4.2%	168,429,000	161,266,000	7,163,000	4.3%
South Dakota	483,200	473,600	9,600	2.0%	482,600	473,000	9,600	2.0%
*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 August 2024 labor force of 483,200 increased compared to the August 2023 level of 481,700. The level of employed increased by 1,800 (0.4%); the number of unemployed decreased by 200 persons (2.0%). The unemployment rate stayed stable at 2.0%.

Seasonally Adjusted Labor Force
	August 2024				August 2023
	Labor Force	Employed	Unemployed	Rate	Labor Force	Employed	Unemployed	Rate
United States	168,549,000	161,434,000	7,115,000	4.2%	167,840,000	161,500,000	6,340,000	3.8%
South Dakota	483,200	473,600	9,600	2.0%	481,700	471,800	9,800	2.0%
*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 August 2024 nonfarm worker data is preliminary and subject to revision.

Seasonally Adjusted

The seasonally adjusted nonfarm worker level decreased 3,100 workers (0.7%) over the month to 464,700 workers in August 2024. Losses in Leisure and Hospitality accounted for this decline. Leisure and Hospitality worker levels fell 3,200 over the month, dropping to 47,300 workers in August 2024.

Over the year, the seasonally adjusted nonfarm worker level increased by 1,500 workers (0.3%). The top three contributors to this growth were Construction (1,900 workers or 6.7%), Government (1,300 workers or 1.6%), and Health Care and Social Assistance (1,200 workers or 1.7%).

South Dakota (Seasonally Adjusted)
				% Change From
	August* 2024	July 2024	August 2023	Last Month	Last Year
Total Nonfarm	464,700	467,800	463,200	-0.7	0.3
Mining, Logging and Construction	31,500	31,600	29,600	-0.3	6.4
Mining and Logging	1,200	1,200	1,200	0.0	0.0
Construction	30,300	30,400	28,400	-0.3	6.7
Manufacturing	44,100	44,300	45,100	-0.5	-2.2
Durable Goods	26,600	26,900	28,200	-1.1	-5.7
Non-durable Goods	17,500	17,400	16,900	0.6	3.6
Trade, Transportation and Utilities	92,900	92,600	92,100	0.3	0.9
Wholesale Trade	22,500	22,500	22,200	0.0	1.4
Retail Trade	54,400	54,300	54,100	0.2	0.6
Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities	16,000	15,800	15,800	1.3	1.3
Information	5,000	5,100	5,100	-2.0	-2.0
Financial Activities	27,100	27,200	27,800	-0.4	-2.5
Professional and Business Services	37,700	37,700	37,500	0.0	0.5
Private Education and Health Services	78,100	78,100	77,100	0.0	1.3
Private Educational Services	7,300	7,300	7,500	0.0	-2.7
Health Care and Social Assistance	70,800	70,800	69,600	0.0	1.7
Leisure and Hospitality	47,300	50,500	49,500	-6.3	-4.4
Other Services (except Public Administration)	18,500	18,200	18,200	1.6	1.6
Government	82,500	82,500	81,200	0.0	1.6
Federal Government	11,800	11,700	11,600	0.9	1.7
State Government	18,300	18,400	18,200	-0.5	0.5
Local Government	52,400	52,400	51,400	0.0	1.9
*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 900 workers (0.2%), dropping to 471,900 workers in August 2024. This decline is a result of losses in Leisure and Hospitality (1,100 workers or 2.0%), Manufacturing (600 workers or 1.4%), and Construction (500 workers or 1.5%).

Over the year, the not seasonally adjusted worker level increased by 3,500 (0.7%). The largest number of workers were added within Construction (2,400 workers or 7.8%), Health Care and Social Assistance (1,600 workers or 2.3%), and Government (1,300 workers or 1.7%).

South Dakota (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
				% Change From
	August* 2024	July 2024	August 2023	Last Month	Last Year
Total Nonfarm	471,900	472,800	468,400	-0.2	0.7
Mining, Logging and Construction	34,600	35,100	32,200	-1.4	7.5
Mining and Logging	1,300	1,300	1,300	0.0	0.0
Construction	33,300	33,800	30,900	-1.5	7.8
Construction of Buildings	8,300	8,300	7,500	0.0	10.7
Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction	6,000	6,000	5,400	0.0	11.1
Specialty Trade Contractors	19,000	19,500	18,000	-2.6	5.6
Manufacturing	43,800	44,400	45,300	-1.4	-3.3
Durable Goods	26,400	26,900	28,400	-1.9	-7.0
Non-Durable Goods	17,400	17,500	16,900	-0.6	3.0
Trade, Transportation and Utilities	93,800	93,700	92,800	0.1	1.1
Wholesale Trade	22,600	22,500	22,300	0.4	1.3
Retail Trade	55,200	55,500	54,700	-0.5	0.9
Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities	16,000	15,700	15,800	1.9	1.3
Information	5,100	5,100	5,200	0.0	-1.9
Financial Activities	27,000	27,300	28,000	-1.1	-3.6
Professional and Business Services	38,600	38,400	38,000	0.5	1.6
Private Education and Health Services	77,700	77,000	76,200	0.9	2.0
Private Educational Services	6,200	6,100	6,300	1.6	-1.6
Health Care and Social Assistance	71,500	70,900	69,900	0.8	2.3
Hospitals	28,800	28,700	28,500	0.3	1.1
Leisure and Hospitality	54,300	55,400	54,800	-2.0	-0.9
Other Services (except Public Administration)	18,400	18,300	18,600	0.5	-1.1
Government	78,600	78,100	77,300	0.6	1.7
Federal Government	11,800	11,700	11,600	0.9	1.7
State Government	17,000	16,800	16,900	1.2	0.6
State Government Educational Services	7,400	7,200	7,400	2.8	0.0
Local Government	49,800	49,600	48,800	0.4	2.0
Local Government Educational Services	22,700	21,600	22,400	5.1	1.3
*Source:* Labor Market Information Center, South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation, in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

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

A more comprehensive overview of the labor market in August 2024, including substate labor force and nonfarm industry data, will be available Sept. 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.