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Labor Market Information Center
Pandemic Picture: Impacts on the Labor Market
The following is a summary of workforce data indicators beginning in January 2020 through the most current labor market data available at any point in time, to provide a picture of how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted South Dakota's labor economy.
- Labor Force (including unemployment rate)
- Nonfarm Worker Levels
- Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Labor Force
Updated monthly; last updated Jan. 29, 2021.
- Employment decreased between November and December by 1,500 or 0.3% due to seasonal employment losses. As of the December 2020 employment estimates, South Dakota has gained back roughly 83% (28,000) of the employment lost in April.
- South Dakota’s not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in December was 3.2%, which is lower than the unemployment rate in March 2020 before the pandemic began.
South Dakota Labor Force Estimates 2020 Not Seasonally Adjusted |
||||
Month | Labor Force |
Employed | Unemployed | Unemployment Rate |
January | 461,820 | 444,256 | 17,564 | 3.8% |
February | 464,194 | 447,445 | 16,749 | 3.6% |
March | 465,585 | 449,860 | 15,725 | 3.4% |
April | 467,575 | 416,227 | 51,348 | 11.0% |
May | 464,374 | 421,705 | 42,669 | 9.2% |
June | 476,205 | 442,599 | 33,606 | 7.1% |
July | 473,798 | 444,916 | 28,882 | 6.1% |
August | 464,400 | 442,406 | 21,994 | 4.7% |
September | 462,748 | 445,369 | 17,379 | 3.8% |
October | 463,806 | 448,430 | 15,376 | 3.3% |
November | 461,207 | 445,726 | 15,481 | 3.4% |
December* | 458,878 | 444,236 | 14,642 | 3.2% |
*Data is preliminary and subject to revision. Source: Labor Market Information Center, SD Department of Labor and Regulation in cooperation with U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |
Month-to-Month Changes in South Dakota Labor Force Estimates in 2020 Not Seasonally Adjusted |
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Over-the-Month Actual Change | Over-the-Month Percent Change | |||||||
Labor Force |
Employed | Unemployed | Unemployment Rate | Labor Force |
Employed | Unemployed | ||
December '19 to January | -1,633 | -2,894 | 1,261 | 0.3% | -0.4% | -0.6% | 7.7% | |
January to February | 2,374 | 3,189 | -815 | -0.2% | 0.5% | 0.7% | -4.6% | |
February to March | 1,391 | 2,415 | -1,024 | -0.2% | 0.3% | 0.5% | -6.1% | |
March to April | 1,990 | -33,633 | 35,623 | 7.6% | 0.4% | -7.5% | 226.5% | |
April to May | -3,201 | 5,478 | -8,679 | -1.8% | -0.7% | 1.3% | -16.9% | |
May to June | 11,831 | 20,894 | -9,063 | -2.1% | 2.5% | 5.0% | -21.2% | |
June to July | -2,407 | 2,317 | -4,724 | -1.0% | -0.5% | 0.5% | -14.1% | |
July to August | -9,398 | -2,510 | -6,888 | -1.4% | -2.0% | -0.6% | -23.8% | |
August to September | -1,652 | 2,963 | -4,615 | -0.9% | -0.4% | 0.7% | -21.0% | |
September to October | 1,058 | 3,061 | -2,003 | -0.5% | 0.2% | 0.7% | -11.5% | |
October to November | -2,599 | -2,704 | 105 | 0.1% | -0.6% | -0.6% | 0.7% | |
November to December* | -2,329 | -1,490 | -839 | -0.2% | -0.5% | -0.3% | -5.4% | |
Source: Labor Market Information Center, SD Department of Labor and Regulation in cooperation with U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |
Read more analysis of labor force data since the pandemic began in South Dakota.
Nonfarm Wage & Salaried Workers by Industry
Updated monthly; last updated Jan. 29, 2021.

- The number of nonfarm wage and salaried workers in South Dakota dipped from November to December 2020, with a loss of 200 workers across all industries.
- Declines in worker levels are common in December as many seasonal establishments (Construction and Leisure and Hospitality) reduce their workforce as the weather turns cold.
- The greatest impact in nonfarm worker levels occurred from March to April, when they had an unprecedented drop of 34,900 workers (8.1%).
- The December estimates show South Dakota establishments have recouped about 99 percent of the worker levels they had in March 2020.
South Dakota Nonfarm Worker Levels Not Seasonally Adjusted |
||||||||||||
Industry | Jan. 2020 |
Feb. 2020 |
March 2020 |
April 2020 |
May 2020 |
June 2020 |
July 2020 |
Aug. 2020 |
Sept. 2020 |
Oct. 2020 |
Nov. 2020 |
Dec. 2020* |
Total Nonfarm | 431,600 | 434,900 | 433,000 | 398,100 | 411,000 | 426,600 | 424,500 | 428,900 | 432,000 | 432,000 | 429,300 | 429,100 |
Mining, Logging and Construction | 22,700 | 22,900 | 23,200 | 25,200 | 27,800 | 29,800 | 29,900 | 29,800 | 29,300 | 28,500 | 26,800 | 25,800 |
Mining and Logging | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,100 | 1,200 | 1,200 | 1,200 | 1,200 | 1,100 | 1,100 | 1,100 | 1,000 |
Construction | 21,700 | 21,900 | 22,200 | 24,100 | 26,600 | 28,600 | 28,700 | 28,600 | 28,200 | 27,400 | 25,700 | 24,800 |
Construction of Buildings | 5,400 | 5,500 | 5,600 | 5,800 | 6,300 | 6,800 | 6,900 | 7,000 | 6,700 | 6,600 | 6,200 | 6,100 |
Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction | 3,200 | 3,200 | 3,400 | 4,200 | 5,000 | 5,400 | 5,500 | 5,400 | 5,300 | 5,200 | 4,200 | 3,500 |
Specialty Trade Contractors | 13,100 | 13,200 | 13,200 | 14,100 | 15,300 | 16,400 | 16,300 | 16,200 | 16,200 | 15,600 | 15,300 | 15,200 |
Manufacturing | 43,300 | 43,400 | 43,600 | 42,800 | 43,000 | 43,200 | 42,400 | 41,900 | 42,000 | 42,700 | 42,900 | 43,000 |
Durable Goods | 27,100 | 27,300 | 27,400 | 27,000 | 27,400 | 27,600 | 27,000 | 26,500 | 26,400 | 26,400 | 26,500 | 26,600 |
Non-Durable Goods | 16,200 | 16,100 | 16,200 | 15,800 | 15,600 | 15,600 | 15,400 | 15,400 | 15,600 | 16,300 | 16,400 | 16,400 |
Trade, Transportation, and Utilities | 85,300 | 85,100 | 84,400 | 78,800 | 80,400 | 83,000 | 83,100 | 83,500 | 82,700 | 83,600 | 85,000 | 85,900 |
Wholesale Trade | 21,200 | 21,200 | 21,200 | 20,700 | 20,900 | 21,100 | 20,800 | 20,700 | 20,400 | 21,000 | 21,000 | 20,900 |
Retail Trade | 50,300 | 50,300 | 49,900 | 45,900 | 47,200 | 49,500 | 49,600 | 50,000 | 49,700 | 49,900 | 50,900 | 52,000 |
Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities | 13,800 | 13,600 | 13,300 | 12,200 | 12,300 | 12,400 | 12,700 | 12,800 | 12,600 | 12,700 | 13,100 | 13,000 |
Information | 5,400 | 5,400 | 5,300 | 5,200 | 5,200 | 5,300 | 5,300 | 5,300 | 5,200 | 5,100 | 5,100 | 5,100 |
Financial Activities | 28,900 | 28,900 | 28,900 | 28,900 | 29,100 | 29,400 | 29,200 | 29,300 | 29,000 | 29,300 | 29,400 | 29,800 |
Professional and Business Services | 33,100 | 33,400 | 33,100 | 32,400 | 32,900 | 33,600 | 33,900 | 33,700 | 33,600 | 34,000 | 34,200 | 34,300 |
Education and Health Services | 73,800 | 74,700 | 74,800 | 68,800 | 69,700 | 69,700 | 69,900 | 70,400 | 71,300 | 71,500 | 72,200 | 72,400 |
Educational Services | 7,300 | 8,000 | 7,800 | 6,600 | 6,400 | 6,000 | 5,900 | 6,200 | 7,400 | 7,600 | 7,800 | 7,600 |
Health Care and Social Assistance | 66,500 | 66,700 | 67,000 | 62,200 | 63,300 | 63,700 | 64,000 | 64,200 | 63,900 | 63,900 | 64,400 | 64,800 |
Hospitals | 26,000 | 26,100 | 26,200 | 25,400 | 25,400 | 25,500 | 25,600 | 25,700 | 25,600 | 25,600 | 25,600 | 25,800 |
Leisure and Hospitality | 43,600 | 44,200 | 42,300 | 26,500 | 34,800 | 42,900 | 46,300 | 46,400 | 43,800 | 41,500 | 38,800 | 38,400 |
Other Services (except Public Administration) | 16,400 | 16,400 | 16,500 | 14,600 | 15,000 | 15,400 | 15,300 | 15,500 | 15,800 | 15,900 | 15,900 | 16,100 |
Government | 79,100 | 80,500 | 80,900 | 74,900 | 73,100 | 74,300 | 69,200 | 73,100 | 79,300 | 79,900 | 79,000 | 78,300 |
Federal Government | 11,200 | 11,100 | 11,300 | 11,400 | 11,500 | 11,700 | 11,300 | 12,100 | 12,000 | 11,700 | 11,500 | 11,700 |
State Government | 17,600 | 19,000 | 18,700 | 16,800 | 16,400 | 15,800 | 15,500 | 16,400 | 18,200 | 18,400 | 18,100 | 17,100 |
State Government Educational Services | 8,900 | 10,100 | 9,900 | 8,200 | 7,500 | 6,300 | 6,200 | 7,100 | 9,000 | 9,300 | 9,300 | 8,200 |
Local Government | 50,300 | 50,400 | 50,900 | 46,700 | 45,200 | 46,800 | 42,400 | 44,600 | 49,100 | 49,800 | 49,400 | 49,500 |
Local Government Educational Services | 27,400 | 27,700 | 27,900 | 26,100 | 23,500 | 23,200 | 18,700 | 21,100 | 26,400 | 27,400 | 27,300 | 27,300 |
*Data is preliminary and subject to revision. |
Read more analysis of nonfarm worker data since the pandemic began in South Dakota.
Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Updated quarterly; last updated Jan. 29, 2021.
- While employment levels started out strong in early 2020 before the pandemic hit South Dakota, employers reported nearly 34,000 fewer workers in April than for March. Employment levels have since recovered back to March levels, with August and September both reaching approximately 422,000.
- While the employment level in August was a full recovery to the previous 2020 high recorded in February, it was not nearly as high as historically typical for August. In 2019, August employment was 439,662, whereas in 2020 August employment was 422,946.
- COVID-19’s impact on the total number of establishments reporting employment and wages was not nearly as severe overall as on employment levels. The reported number of establishments reached a historical high of 35,162 in the third quarter of 2020. There was also a slightly larger gain in establishments in 2020 compared to 2019 from second quarter to third quarter. In 2020, the total number of establishments increased 1.5% between the two quarters, whereas 2019 saw a 0.5% increase.
South Dakota Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages 2020 |
|
Month | Employment |
January 2020 | 420,694 |
February 2020 | 421,268 |
March 2020 | 420,863 |
April 2020 | 387,238 |
May 2020 | 402,499 |
June 2020 | 416,160 |
July 2020* | 418,634 |
August 2020* | 422,946 |
September 2020* | 422,298 |
Actual Change from March 2020 to Most Current Data |
1,435 |
Percent Change from March 2020 to Most Current Data |
0.3% |
*Preliminary data; subject to revision. Source: Labor Market Information Center, SD Department of Labor and Regulation in cooperation with U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |
South Dakota Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages 2020 |
|||
Month | Number of Establishments | Average Employment |
Average Weekly Wages |
First Quarter 2020 (January through March) | 34,642 | 420,942 | $901 |
Second Quarter 2020 (April through June) | 34,657 | 401,966 | $912 |
Third Quarter 2020* (July through September) | 35,162 | 421,293 | $918 |
Actual Change from First Quarter 2020 to Most Current Data | 15 | -18,976 | $11 |
Percent Change from First Quarter 2020 to Most Current Data | 0.0% | -4.5% | 1.2% |
Actual Change from Second Quarter 2020 to Third Quarter 2020 | 505 | 19,327 | $6 |
Percent Change from Second Quarter 2020 to Third Quarter 2020 | 1.5% | 4.8% | 0.7% |
*Preliminary data; subject to revision. Source: Labor Market Information Center, SD Department of Labor and Regulation in cooperation with U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |
Learn more about the QCEW program and the availability of data since the pandemic began.