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Labor Market Information Center

August South Dakota statewide data released

Please note: The following data release includes August 2026 seasonally adjusted statewide labor force and both seasonally adjusted and not seasonally adjusted statewide nonfarm data. The full release of August 2026 labor force and not seasonally adjusted nonfarm wage and salaried worker data for all areas will be September 25, with the publication of the South Dakota e-Labor Bulletin. August 2026 labor force and not seasonally adjusted nonfarm data will also be available in the online labor market data system at that time. The release of August 2026 seasonally adjusted labor force data for the two Metropolitan Statistical Areas is scheduled for Sept. 30, 2026.

Labor Force

Preliminary estimates show South Dakota's unemployment rate stayed the same at 2.0% in August 2026. The labor force decreased over the month by 1,200 workers (0.2%) to 485,900 workers, and the level of unemployed decreased by 100 (1.0%) to 9,600 persons.

Seasonally Adjusted Labor Force
  August 2026   July 2026
Labor Force Employed Unemployed Rate Labor Force Employed Unemployed Rate
United States 169,777,000 162,746,000 7,031,000 4.1% 169,094,000 162,177,000 6,916,000 4.1%
South Dakota 485,900 476,300 9,600 2.0% 487,100 477,400 9,700 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 2026 labor force of 485,900 decreased 7,200 (1.5%) workers compared to the August 2025 level of 493,100. The level of employed decreased by 6,600 persons (1.4%); the number of unemployed decreased 600 persons (5.9%). The unemployment rate decreased by 0.1 to 2.0%.

Seasonally Adjusted Labor Force
  August 2026   August 2025
Labor Force Employed Unemployed Rate Labor Force Employed Unemployed Rate
United States 169,777,000 162,746,000 7,031,000 4.1% 170,750,000 163,370,000 7,380,000 4.3%
South Dakota 485,900 476,300 9,600 2.0% 493,100 482,900 10,200 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 August 2026 nonfarm worker data is preliminary and subject to revision.

Seasonally Adjusted

The seasonally adjusted nonfarm worker level decreased 1,100 workers (0.2%) over the month to 470,200 workers in August 2026. Private Education & Health Services had the largest over-the-month gain, increasing 500 workers (0.6%).

Over the year, the seasonally adjusted nonfarm worker level increased by 1,000 workers (0.2%), reaching 470,200 in August 2026. Increases in Leisure & Hospitality (3,800 or 7.5%), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,400 or 1.9%), and Construction (800 or 2.7%) were the largest driving forces to this increase.

South Dakota
(Seasonally Adjusted)
  % Change From
  August*
2026		 July
2026		 August
2025		 Last
Month		 Last
Year
Total Nonfarm 470,200 471,300 469,200 -0.2 0.2
Mining, Logging and Construction 31,700 31,600 30,900 0.3 2.6
  Mining and Logging 1,200 1,200 1,200 0.0 0.0
  Construction 30,500 30,400 29,700 0.3 2.7
Manufacturing 44,100 44,000 44,200 0.2 -0.2
  Durable Goods 27,600 27,400 27,500 0.7 0.4
  Non-durable Goods 16,500 16,600 16,700 -0.6 -1.2
Trade, Transportation and Utilities 90,200 91,300 92,900 -1.2 -2.9
  Wholesale Trade 22,500 22,800 22,400 -1.3 0.4
  Retail Trade 52,100 52,500 54,000 -0.8 -3.5
  Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities 15,600 16,000 16,500 -2.5 -5.5
Information 4,900 4,900 5,000 0.0 -2.0
Financial Activities 27,200 27,000 27,300 0.7 -0.4
Professional and Business Services 36,200 37,000 37,400 -2.2 -3.2
Private Education and Health Services 82,100 81,600 80,300 0.6 2.2
  Private Educational Services 8,100 7,700 7,700 5.2 5.2
  Health Care and Social Assistance 74,000 73,900 72,600 0.1 1.9
Leisure and Hospitality 54,500 54,200 50,700 0.6 7.5
Other Services (except Public Administration) 18,700 18,900 18,600 -1.1 0.5
Government 80,600 80,800 81,900 -0.2 -1.6
  Federal Government 10,600 10,700 11,500 -0.9 -7.8
  State Government 18,300 18,400 18,500 -0.5 -1.1
  Local Government 51,700 51,700 51,900 0.0 -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 remained unchanged with 475,600 in August 2026. The largest over-the-month gain was in Leisure & Hospitality, increasing by 1,100 workers (1.9%).

Over the year, the not seasonally adjusted worker level increased by 1,600 workers (0.3%) totaling 475,600 in August 2026. The largest number of jobs were added within Leisure & Hospitality 4,500 (8.1%) Construction 1,200 (3.8%), and Heath Care & Social Assistance 1,200 (1.6%).

South Dakota
(Not Seasonally Adjusted)
    % Change From
August*
2026		 July
2026		 August
2025		 Last
Month		 Last
Year
Total Nonfarm 475,600 475,600 474,000 0.0 0.3
Mining, Logging and Construction 34,400 34,700 33,300 -0.9 3.3
  Mining and Logging 1,200 1,200 1,300 0.0 -7.7
  Construction 33,200 33,500 32,000 -0.9 3.8
   Construction of Buildings 7,500 7,700 7,600 -2.6 -1.3
   Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction 5,800 5,900 5,600 -1.7 3.6
   Specialty Trade Contractors 19,900 19,900 18,800 0.0 5.9
Manufacturing 44,300 44,200 44,400 0.2 -0.2
  Durable Goods 27,800 27,600 27,600 0.7 0.7
  Non-Durable Goods 16,500 16,600 16,800 -0.6 -1.8
Trade, Transportation and Utilities 91,100 92,400 93,500 -1.4 -2.6
  Wholesale Trade 22,700 22,900 22,500 -0.9 0.9
  Retail Trade 52,800 53,500 54,700 -1.3 -3.5
  Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities 15,600 16,000 16,300 -2.5 -4.3
Information 4,900 4,900 5,100 0.0 -3.9
Financial Activities 27,200 27,300 27,500 -0.4 -1.1
Professional and Business Services 36,900 37,600 38,100 -1.9 -3.1
Private Education and Health Services 81,200 80,200 79,700 1.2 1.9
  Private Educational Services 6,800 6,000 6,500 13.3 4.6
  Health Care and Social Assistance 74,400 74,200 73,200 0.3 1.6
   Hospitals 28,900 28,900 28,700 0.0 0.7
Leisure and Hospitality 60,400 59,300 55,900 1.9 8.1
Other Services (except Public Administration) 18,700 19,000 19,000 -1.6 -1.6
Government 76,500 76,000 77,500 0.7 -1.3
 Federal Government 10,700 10,600 11,500 0.9 -7.0
 State Government 17,100 16,800 17,100 1.8 0.0
   State Government Educational Services 7,500 7,200 7,500 4.2 0.0
 Local Government 48,700 48,600 48,900 0.2 -0.4
   Local Government Educational Services 22,000 21,100 22,300 4.3 -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 2026 data in the tables and narrative above is preliminary and subject to revision.

A more comprehensive overview of the labor market in August 2026, including nonfarm industry data, will be available September 25 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.