September 16, 2022

United States Employment Situation

Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data for the 50 states and DC released at 10:00am on September 16, 2022


South Dakota Employment Situation



South Dakota Payroll Employment

South Dakota added 1,600 net payroll jobs, or 0.4 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during August. In the prior month, South Dakota added 3,200 jobs. Over the past twelve months, South Dakota added 10,100 payroll jobs, or 2.3 percent. South Dakota nonfarm payroll employment had increased in 8 of the past 12 months.

Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 315,000 in August, or rose by 0.2 percent. Over the 12-month period ending with August, nonfarm payrolls rose by 5,840,000 jobs, or 4 percent. South Dakota is tied for 39th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

During August, South Dakota’s private-sector added 1,600 jobs, or approximately 0.4 percent. The private-sector in South Dakota added 3,000 jobs in the prior month. Over the past twelve months, private-sector payrolls in South Dakota added 9,800, or 2.7 percent. South Dakota private-sector payroll employment has increased in 9 of the past 12 months.

Nationally, private-sector payroll jobs rose by 308,000 jobs in August, or 0.2 percent. Over the past 12 months, the national payroll rose by 5,702,000 jobs in the private sector, or 4.6 percent. South Dakota is tied for 36th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia for a percentage gain in private-sector payroll employment over the past 12 months.

The best performing sectors on a seasonally adjusted basis during August were Financial Activities (2,600) and Manufacturing (2,500). The poorest performing sectors during the month were Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (-1,000) and Leisure and Hospitality (-5,400).

The best performing sectors during the last twelve months were Leisure and Hospitality (28,300) and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (23,100). The poorest performing sectors during the last twelve months were Other Services (2,300) and Mining and Logging (300).



South Dakota Labor Force Statistics

Labor Force Participation

The labor force participation rate in South Dakota remained unchanged at 68.9 percent in August. At a labor force participation rate of 68.9 percent, South Dakota ranks 5th in the nation. The labor force participation rate in South Dakota rose by 0.3 percentage point from a year earlier. The labor force participation rate is the percentage of the civilian noninstitutionalized population age 16 and older who are employed or actively looking for work.

The 10-year high for the labor force participation rate in South Dakota was 70.7 percent last occurring in October 2012. The series high for the labor force participation rate in South Dakota last occurred in February 2004 when the labor force participation rate hit 73.2 percent. The 10-year low for the labor force participation rate was 68 percent in June 2020. The series low for the labor force participation rate in South Dakota last occurred in May 1976 when the labor force participation rate hit 64.3 percent.

The national labor force participation rate rose by 0.3 percentage points over the month to 62.4 percent in August. That rate rose by 0.7 percentage point from a year earlier. The all-time high for the national labor force participation rate was 67.3 percent in April 2000. The 10-year high for the national labor force participation rate was 63.8 percent in October 2012. The recent 10-year low occurred in April 2020 at a level of 60.2 percent. The series low for the national labor force participation rate was 58.1 percent in December 1954.

Employment-to-Population Ratio

The employment-to-population ratio, or the percentage of the South Dakota civilian noninstitutionalized population 16 years and older counted as employed, in August fell to 67.3 from 67.4 percent in the prior month. At 67.3 percent, South Dakota ranks 4th among state employment-to-population ratios in the nation. The employment-to-population ratio in South Dakota rose by 0.8 percentage point from a year earlier.

The 10-year high for the employment-to-population ratio in South Dakota was 67.8 percent last occurring in March 2016. The series high for the employment-to-population ratio in South Dakota last occurred in March 2001 when the employment-to-population ratio hit 71.1 percent. The 10-year low for the employment-to-population ratio was 62.1 percent in April 2020. This also represents the series low for the employment-to-population ratio in South Dakota.

The national employment-to-population ratio rose by 0.1 percentage point over the month to 60.1 percent in August. That rate rose by 1.6 percentage points from a year earlier. The all-time high for the national employment-to-population rato was 64.7 percent in April 2000. The 10-year high for the national employment-to-population ratio was 61.2 percent in February 2020. The recent 10-year low occurred in April 2020 at a level of 51.3 percent. The series low for the employment-to-population ratio was 51.3 percent in April 2020.

State employment and unemployment data for September is scheduled for release October 21, 2022. The national employment situation report for September will be released October 07, 2022.