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South Dakota Ranks 40th for Job Growth in August

How can “the strongest economy in the nation” not have the strongest job growth in the nation?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released August job growth figures on Friday. Every state shows more people at work this August than one year ago, but 39 states (including D.C.) added jobs at a faster rate than South Dakota:

US Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Nonfarm Employment Up in 46 States and DC from August 2021 to August 2022," 2022.09.23.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Nonfarm Employment Up in 46 States and DC from August 2021 to August 2022,” 2022.09.23.

South Dakota had 10,100 more jobs in August 2022 than in August 2021, a 2.3% increase. Minnesota added 67,900 jobs over the same period, a 2.4% increase. Iowa, North Dakota, and Wyoming had better job-growth percentages; Montana tied us at 2.3%; Nebraska brought up the regional rear at 2.0%.

Nine states saw statistically significant job growth from July to August: Washington, Virginia, South Carolina, Oregon, New York, New Jersey, Kentucky, Georgia, Colorado, and Alaska.

South Dakota’s jobless rate is the sixth-best in the nation, tied with North Dakota’s 2.3%. Minnesota has the lowest unemployment in the U.S. at 1.9%, followed by New Hampshire and Utah at 2.0% and Vermont and Nebraska at 2.0%. The states with the highest unemployment—Delaware, Illinois, Alaska, and New York—are still below 5%. Only D.C. and Puerto Rico are worse off than the 5% that used to be considered full employment.

2 Comments

  1. P. Aitch

    Her Furry is referring to the strong smell, of course not the strength of progress.
    What do the cheese factories, the pork processors, and the Pink Slime factory have in common besides the smell of decaying food waste?
    They’re all allowed by the majority political party to pollute and denigrate the potential of the Big Sioux River.

  2. As it seems to be happening throughout the state it looks like Black Hills State’s freshman class is bigger this year although overall enrollment has dropped so fewer people are seeking full time employment maybe moving wages higher.

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