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Labor Market Information Center

September South Dakota statewide data released

Please note: The following data release includes September 2026 seasonally adjusted statewide labor force and both seasonally adjusted and not seasonally adjusted statewide nonfarm data. The full release of September 2026 labor force and not seasonally adjusted nonfarm wage and salaried worker data for all areas will be October 23, with the publication of the South Dakota e-Labor Bulletin. September 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 September 2026 seasonally adjusted labor force data for the two Metropolitan Statistical Areas is scheduled for Oct. 28, 2026.

Labor Force

Preliminary estimates show South Dakota's unemployment rate held steady at 2.0% in September 2026. The labor force decreased over the month by 1,200 (0.2%) to 484,700, and the level of unemployed remained stable with 9,600 unemployed.

Seasonally Adjusted Labor Force
  September 2026   August 2026
Labor Force Employed Unemployed Rate Labor Force Employed Unemployed Rate
United States 170,262,000 163,152,000 7,109,000 4.2% 169,777,000 162,746,000 7,031,000 4.1%
South Dakota 484,700 475,100 9,600 2.0% 485,900 476,300 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 September 2026 labor force of 484,700 decreased 9,000 (1.8%) workers compared to the September 2025 level of 493,700. The level of employed decreased by 8,200 (1.7%); the number of unemployed decreased 800 (7.7%). 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 170,262,000 163,152,000 7,109,000 4.2% 171,261,000 163,656,000 7,605,000 4.4%
South Dakota 484,700 475,100 9,600 2.0% 493,700 483,300 10,400 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 September 2026 nonfarm worker data is preliminary and subject to revision.

Seasonally Adjusted

The seasonally adjusted nonfarm worker level decreased 500 workers (0.1%) over the month to 470,500 in September 2026. Leisure and Hospitality had the largest over-the-month gain, increasing 600 (1.1%).

Over the year, the seasonally adjusted nonfarm worker level increased by 1,800 (0.4%), reaching 470,500 in September 2026. Increases in Leisure & Hospitality (5,100 or 10.1%), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,300 or 1.8%), and Construction (800 or 2.7%) were the largest driving forces to this increase.

South Dakota
(Seasonally Adjusted)
  % Change From
  September*
2026		 August
2026		 September
2025		 Last
Month		 Last
Year
Total Nonfarm 470,500 471,000 468,700 -0.1 0.4
Mining, Logging and Construction 31,600 31,700 30,700 -0.3 2.9
  Mining and Logging 1,200 1,200 1,100 0.0 9.1
  Construction 30,400 30,500 29,600 -0.3 2.7
Manufacturing 43,800 44,000 44,100 -0.5 -0.7
  Durable Goods 27,400 27,500 27,500 -0.4 -0.4
  Non-durable Goods 16,400 16,500 16,600 -0.6 -1.2
Trade, Transportation and Utilities 90,700 90,500 92,700 0.2 -2.2
  Wholesale Trade 22,600 22,500 22,200 0.4 1.8
  Retail Trade 52,600 52,500 54,100 0.2 -2.8
  Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities 15,500 15,500 16,400 0.0 -5.5
Information 4,800 4,800 5,000 0.0 -4.0
Financial Activities 27,100 27,500 27,300 -1.5 -0.7
Professional and Business Services 35,900 36,100 37,300 -0.6 -3.8
Private Education and Health Services 81,600 82,000 80,300 -0.5 1.6
  Private Educational Services 7,700 8,100 7,700 -4.9 0.0
  Health Care and Social Assistance 73,900 73,900 72,600 0.0 1.8
Leisure and Hospitality 55,700 55,100 50,600 1.1 10.1
Other Services (except Public Administration) 18,700 18,800 18,700 -0.5 0.0
Government 80,600 80,500 82,000 0.1 -1.7
  Federal Government 10,600 10,600 11,400 0.0 -7.0
  State Government 18,500 18,300 18,400 1.1 0.5
  Local Government 51,500 51,600 52,200 -0.2 -1.3
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 by 2,300 (0.5%), totaling 474,100 in September 2026. The largest over-the-month gain was in Government, increasing by 4,900 workers (6.4%).

Over the year, the not seasonally adjusted worker level increased by 1,500 (0.3%), totaling 474,100 in September 2026. Leisure & Hospitality added the most jobs 4,700 (9.0%), followed by Heath Care & Social Assistance (1,400 or 1.9%) and Construction (1,000 or 3.2%).

South Dakota
(Not Seasonally Adjusted)
    % Change From
September*
2026		 August
2026		 September
2025		 Last
Month		 Last
Year
Total Nonfarm 474,100 476,400 472,600 -0.5 0.3
Mining, Logging and Construction 33,300 34,400 32,300 -3.2 3.1
  Mining and Logging 1,200 1,200 1,200 0.0 0.0
  Construction 32,100 33,200 31,100 -3.3 3.2
   Construction of Buildings 7,300 7,500 7,400 -2.7 -1.4
   Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction 5,800 5,800 5,400 0.0 7.4
   Specialty Trade Contractors 19,000 19,900 18,300 -4.5 3.8
Manufacturing 43,800 44,200 44,000 -0.9 -0.5
  Durable Goods 27,400 27,700 27,400 -1.1 0.0
  Non-Durable Goods 16,400 16,500 16,600 -0.6 -1.2
Trade, Transportation and Utilities 90,300 91,500 92,200 -1.3 -2.1
  Wholesale Trade 22,500 22,700 22,000 -0.9 2.3
  Retail Trade 52,300 53,200 53,800 -1.7 -2.8
  Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities 15,500 15,600 16,400 -0.6 -5.5
Information 4,800 4,800 5,000 0.0 -4.0
Financial Activities 27,100 27,600 27,300 -1.8 -0.7
Professional and Business Services 36,100 36,900 37,400 -2.2 -3.5
Private Education and Health Services 81,700 81,100 80,400 0.7 1.6
  Private Educational Services 7,900 6,800 8,000 16.2 -1.3
  Health Care and Social Assistance 73,800 74,300 72,400 -0.7 1.9
   Hospitals 28,800 28,900 28,600 -0.3 0.7
Leisure and Hospitality 57,000 60,500 52,300 -5.8 9.0
Other Services (except Public Administration) 18,600 18,900 18,700 -1.6 -0.5
Government 81,400 76,500 83,000 6.4 -1.9
 Federal Government 10,700 10,700 11,400 0.0 -6.1
 State Government 19,200 17,100 19,200 12.3 0.0
   State Government Educational Services 9,700 7,500 9,700 29.3 0.0
 Local Government 51,500 48,700 52,400 5.7 -1.7
   Local Government Educational Services 27,700 22,000 28,100 25.9 -1.4
Source: Labor Market Information Center, South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation, in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

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

A more comprehensive overview of the labor market in September 2026, including nonfarm industry data, will be available October 23 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.