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Marcia Hultman

Cabinet Secretary

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Labor Market Information Center

April South Dakota statewide data released

Please note: The following data release includes April 2026 seasonally adjusted statewide labor force and both seasonally adjusted and not seasonally adjusted statewide nonfarm data. The full release of April 2026 labor force and not seasonally adjusted nonfarm wage and salaried worker data for all areas will be May 29, with the publication of the South Dakota e-Labor Bulletin. April 2026 labor force and not seasonally adjusted nonfarm data will also be available in the virtual labor market data system at that time. The release of April 2026 seasonally adjusted labor force data for the two Metropolitan Statistical Areas is scheduled for June 3, 2026.

Labor Force

Preliminary estimates show South Dakota's unemployment rate decreased to 2.2% in April 2026. The labor force decreased over the month by 1,000 workers (0.2%) to 490,800 workers, and the level of unemployed decreased by 500 (4.5%) to 10,700.

Seasonally Adjusted Labor Force
  April 2026   March 2026
Labor Force Employed Unemployed Rate Labor Force Employed Unemployed Rate
United States 169,995,000 162,622,000 7,373,000 4.3% 170,087,000 162,848,000 7,239,000 4.3%
South Dakota 490,800 480,000 10,700 2.2% 491,800 480,700 11,200 2.3%
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 April 2026 labor force of 490,800 was unchanged compared to the April 2025 level of 490,800. The level of employed decreased by 1,000 persons (0.2%); the number of unemployed increased by 900 persons (9.2%). The unemployment rate increased 0.2% to 2.2%.

Seasonally Adjusted Labor Force
  April 2026   April 2025
Labor Force Employed Unemployed Rate Labor Force Employed Unemployed Rate
United States 169,995,000 162,622,000 7,373,000 4.3% 171,054,000 163,898,000 7,155,000 4.2%
South Dakota 490,800 480,000 10,700 2.2% 490,800 481,000 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 April 2026 nonfarm worker data is preliminary and subject to revision.

Seasonally Adjusted

The seasonally adjusted nonfarm worker level increased 400 workers (0.1%) over the month to 470,400 workers in April 2026. Professional & Business Services had the largest over-the-month gain, increasing 500 workers (1.4%).

Over the year, the seasonally adjusted nonfarm worker level increased by 200 workers (0.0%), reaching 470,400 in April 2026. Increases in Leisure & Hospitality (2,900 or 5.7%), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,000 or 1.4%), and Other Services (300 or 1.6%) were the largest driving forces to this increase.

South Dakota
(Seasonally Adjusted)
  % Change From
  April*
2026		 March
2026		 April
2025		 Last
Month		 Last
Year
Total Nonfarm 470,400 470,000 470,200 0.1 0.0
Mining, Logging and Construction 31,100 31,100 31,200 0.0 -0.3
  Mining and Logging 1,200 1,200 1,100 0.0 9.1
  Construction 29,900 29,900 30,100 0.0 -0.7
Manufacturing 43,900 43,900 44,600 0.0 -1.6
  Durable Goods 27,300 27,200 27,400 0.4 -0.4
  Non-durable Goods 16,600 16,700 17,200 -0.6 -3.5
Trade, Transportation and Utilities 91,500 91,800 92,500 -0.3 -1.1
  Wholesale Trade 22,300 22,500 22,400 -0.9 -0.4
  Retail Trade 53,200 53,300 53,900 -0.2 -1.3
  Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities 16,000 16,000 16,200 0.0 -1.2
Information 4,800 4,900 5,100 -2.0 -5.9
Financial Activities 27,100 26,900 27,400 0.7 -1.1
Professional and Business Services 37,000 36,500 37,400 1.4 -1.1
Private Education and Health Services 81,400 81,300 80,600 0.1 1.0
  Private Educational Services 7,600 7,700 7,800 -1.3 -2.6
  Health Care and Social Assistance 73,800 73,600 72,800 0.3 1.4
Leisure and Hospitality 53,700 53,600 50,800 0.2 5.7
Other Services (except Public Administration) 18,900 18,800 18,600 0.5 1.6
Government 81,000 81,200 82,000 -0.2 -1.2
  Federal Government 10,600 10,800 11,500 -1.9 -7.8
  State Government 18,500 18,400 18,400 0.5 0.5
  Local Government 51,900 52,000 52,100 -0.2 -0.4
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 increased by 4,500 workers (1.0%), increasing to 466,500 in April 2026. The largest over-the-month gain was in Construction, increasing by 1,700 workers (6.3%), and in Leisure & Hospitality increasing by 1,400 workers (2.8%).

Over the year, the not seasonally adjusted worker level decreased by 1,100 (0.2%) to 466,500 in April 2026. The largest number of jobs were added within Leisure & Hospitality (1,800 or 3.7%), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,100 or 1.5%), and Other Services (400 or 2.2%).

South Dakota
(Not Seasonally Adjusted)
    % Change From
April*
2026		 March
2026		 April
2025		 Last
Month		 Last
Year
Total Nonfarm 466,500 462,000 467,600 1.0 -0.2
Mining, Logging and Construction 30,000 28,300 30,300 6.0 -1.0
  Mining and Logging 1,200 1,200 1,100 0.0 9.1
  Construction 28,800 27,100 29,200 6.3 -1.4
   Construction of Buildings 6,700 6,400 7,000 4.7 -4.3
   Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction 4,800 4,100 4,800 17.1 0.0
   Specialty Trade Contractors 17,300 16,600 17,400 4.2 -0.6
Manufacturing 43,800 43,900 44,500 -0.2 -1.6
  Durable Goods 27,200 27,200 27,400 0.0 -0.7
  Non-Durable Goods 16,600 16,700 17,100 -0.6 -2.9
Trade, Transportation and Utilities 90,600 90,400 91,700 0.2 -1.2
  Wholesale Trade 22,300 22,300 22,400 0.0 -0.4
  Retail Trade 52,700 52,500 53,300 0.4 -1.1
  Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities 15,600 15,600 16,000 0.0 -2.5
Information 4,800 4,900 5,000 -2.0 -4.0
Financial Activities 26,900 26,700 27,200 0.7 -1.1
Professional and Business Services 37,000 35,800 37,400 3.4 -1.1
Private Education and Health Services 81,800 81,800 80,900 0.0 1.1
  Private Educational Services 8,200 8,300 8,400 -1.2 -2.4
  Health Care and Social Assistance 73,600 73,500 72,500 0.1 1.5
   Hospitals 28,800 28,700 28,200 0.3 2.1
Leisure and Hospitality 50,900 49,500 49,100 2.8 3.7
Other Services (except Public Administration) 18,900 18,800 18,500 0.5 2.2
Government 81,800 81,900 83,000 -0.1 -1.4
 Federal Government 10,600 10,700 11,500 -0.9 -7.8
 State Government 19,000 19,000 19,000 0.0 0.0
   State Government Educational Services 10,000 10,000 10,000 0.0 0.0
 Local Government 52,200 52,200 52,500 0.0 -0.6
   Local Government Educational Services 28,800 29,100 29,100 -1.0 -1.0
Source: Labor Market Information Center, South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation, in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

*Note: All April 2026 data in the tables and narrative above is preliminary and subject to revision.

A more comprehensive overview of the labor market in April 2026, including nonfarm industry data, will be available May 29 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.