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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.