Marcia Hultman

Cabinet Secretary

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Labor Market Information Center

March South Dakota statewide data just released

Please note: The following data release includes March 2024 seasonally adjusted statewide labor force and both seasonally adjusted and not seasonally adjusted statewide nonfarm data. The full release of March 2024 labor force and not seasonally adjusted nonfarm wage and salaried worker data for all areas will be April 26, with the publication of the April 2024 South Dakota e-Labor Bulletin. March 2024 not seasonally adjusted data will also be available in the virtual labor market data system at that time. The release of March 2024 seasonally adjusted labor force data for the two Metropolitan Statistical Areas is scheduled for May 1, 2024.

Labor Force

Preliminary estimates show South Dakota's unemployment rate remained unchanged at 2.1% in March 2024. The labor force stayed steady over the month with 481,500 workers. The level of unemployed decreased by 100 (1.0%) to 9,900 persons unemployed.

Seasonally Adjusted Labor Force
	March 2024				February 2024
	Labor Force	Employed	Unemployed	Rate	Labor Force	Employed	Unemployed	Rate
United States	167,895,000	161,466,000	6,429,000	3.8%	167,426,000	160,968,000	6,458,000	3.9%
South Dakota	481,500	471,500	9,900	2.1%	481,500	471,400	10,000	2.1%
*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 March 2024 labor force of 481,500 increased compared to the March 2023 level of 478,500. The level of employed increased by 2,100 (0.4%); the level of unemployed increased by 800 persons (8.8%). The unemployment rate increased 0.2% to 2.1%.

Seasonally Adjusted Labor Force
	March 2024				March 2023
	Labor Force	Employed	Unemployed	Rate	Labor Force	Employed	Unemployed	Rate
United States	167,895,000	161,466,000	6,429,000	3.8%	166,690,000	160,824,000	5,866,000	3.5%
South Dakota	481,500	471,500	9,900	2.1%	478,500	469,400	9,100	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 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 March 2024 nonfarm worker data is preliminary and subject to revision.

Seasonally Adjusted

The seasonally adjusted nonfarm worker level added 1,300 workers (0.3%) over the month to 470,400 workers in March 2024. This growth is a result of gains in Retail Trade (900 workers or 1.7%), Professional and Business Services (400 workers or 1.1%), Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities (300 workers or 1.9%), and Leisure and Hospitality (300 workers or 0.6%).

Over the year, the seasonally adjusted nonfarm worker level increased by 11,000 workers (2.4%). The top three contributors to this growth were Construction (3,000 workers or 10.9%), Leisure and Hospitality (2,100 workers or 4.3%), and Government (2,000 workers or 2.5%).

South Dakota (Seasonally Adjusted)
				% Change From
	March* 2024	February 2024	March 2023	Last Month	Last Year
Total Nonfarm	470,400	469,100	459,400	0.3	2.4
Mining, Logging and Construction	31,800	32,000	28,700	-0.6	10.8
Mining and Logging	1,300	1,300	1,200	0.0	8.3
Construction	30,500	30,700	27,500	-0.7	10.9
Manufacturing	44,900	45,400	45,500	-1.1	-1.3
Durable Goods	27,800	28,400	28,500	-2.1	-2.5
Non-durable Goods	17,100	17,000	17,000	0.6	0.6
Trade, Transportation and Utilities	92,900	91,700	90,700	1.3	2.4
Wholesale Trade	22,800	22,800	22,200	0.0	2.7
Retail Trade	53,800	52,900	53,500	1.7	0.6
Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities	16,300	16,000	15,000	1.9	8.7
Information	5,000	5,000	5,200	0.0	-3.8
Financial Activities	27,600	27,500	27,800	0.4	-0.7
Professional and Business Services	38,100	37,700	37,200	1.1	2.4
Private Education and Health Services	77,900	77,900	76,600	0.0	1.7
Private Educational Services	7,800	7,800	7,600	0.0	2.6
Health Care and Social Assistance	70,100	70,100	69,000	0.0	1.6
Leisure and Hospitality	51,100	50,800	49,000	0.6	4.3
Other Services (except Public Administration)	18,500	18,500	18,100	0.0	2.2
Government	82,600	82,600	80,600	0.0	2.5
Federal Government	11,800	11,800	11,500	0.0	2.6
State Government	18,300	18,300	17,900	0.0	2.2
Local Government	52,500	52,500	51,200	0.0	2.5
*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 3,200 workers (0.7%), climbing to 461,800 workers in March 2024. Retail Trade had the largest over-the-month growth, adding 1,200 workers (2.3%). This growth is a result of small worker level gains spread throughout many of the establishments in this supersector.

Over the year, the not seasonally adjusted worker level increased by 10,100 (2.2%). The largest number of workers were added within Construction (2,500 workers or 10.2%), Government (1,900 workers or 2.3%), and Leisure and Hospitality (1,600 workers or 3.5%).

South Dakota (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
				% Change From
	March* 2024	February 2024	March 2023	Last Month	Last Year
Total Nonfarm	461,800	458,600	451,700	0.7	2.2
Mining, Logging and Construction	28,200	27,800	25,600	1.4	10.2
Mining and Logging	1,200	1,200	1,100	0.0	9.1
Construction	27,000	26,600	24,500	1.5	10.2
Construction of Buildings	7,000	6,900	6,300	1.4	11.1
Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction	4,300	4,100	3,400	4.9	26.5
Specialty Trade Contractors	15,700	15,600	14,800	0.6	6.1
Manufacturing	44,800	45,400	45,400	-1.3	-1.3
Durable Goods	27,800	28,400	28,400	-2.1	-2.1
Non-Durable Goods	17,000	17,000	17,000	0.0	0.0
Trade, Transportation and Utilities	91,800	90,400	89,300	1.5	2.8
Wholesale Trade	22,500	22,500	21,900	0.0	2.7
Retail Trade	53,400	52,200	52,700	2.3	1.3
Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities	15,900	15,700	14,700	1.3	8.2
Information	5,000	5,000	5,100	0.0	-2.0
Financial Activities	27,300	27,400	27,600	-0.4	-1.1
Professional and Business Services	37,300	36,700	36,600	1.6	1.9
Private Education and Health Services	78,200	78,000	76,900	0.3	1.7
Private Educational Services	8,300	8,200	8,200	1.2	1.2
Health Care and Social Assistance	69,900	69,800	68,700	0.1	1.7
Hospitals	28,500	28,400	28,000	0.4	1.8
Leisure and Hospitality	47,500	46,900	45,900	1.3	3.5
Other Services (except Public Administration)	18,300	18,100	17,800	1.1	2.8
Government	83,400	82,900	81,500	0.6	2.3
Federal Government	11,700	11,600	11,400	0.9	2.6
State Government	18,900	18,900	18,500	0.0	2.2
State Government Educational Services	10,000	10,000	9,700	0.0	3.1
Local Government	52,800	52,400	51,600	0.8	2.3
Local Government Educational Services	29,100	28,800	28,600	1.0	1.7
*Source:* Labor Market Information Center, South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation, in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

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

A more comprehensive overview of the labor market in March 2024, including substate labor force and nonfarm industry data, will be available April 26 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.