SD!JOBS=LAUS(46)
South Dakota: jobs and unemployment
Unemployment, employment and the labor force in South Dakota from the Local Area Unemployment Statistics program of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
BLS LAUSLatest month: September 2026
Unemployment, September 20262.0%#1 of 51 · #1 = lowest
Annual average, 20252.1%US 4.3%, weighted by labor force
Labor force, 2025491.8K+1.4% on a year earlier
Employed, 2025481.5K10,285 unemployed
Labor forceEmployed
| Year | Unemployment rate | Labor force | Employed | Unemployed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.1% | 491,785 | 481,500 | 10,285 | |
| 2024 | 1.8% | 485,148 | 476,298 | 8,850 | |
| 2023 | 1.8% | 479,697 | 470,972 | 8,725 | |
| 2022 | 1.9% | 474,201 | 465,035 | 9,166 | |
| 2021 | 2.6% | 469,020 | 457,014 | 12,006 | |
| 2020 | 4.1% | 464,719 | 445,476 | 19,243 | |
| 2019 | 2.7% | 464,222 | 451,532 | 12,690 | |
| 2018 | 2.8% | 458,530 | 445,918 | 12,612 | |
| 2017 | 3.0% | 455,814 | 442,052 | 13,762 | |
| 2016 | 3.0% | 453,016 | 439,437 | 13,579 | |
| 2015 | 3.0% | 450,080 | 436,406 | 13,674 | |
| 2014 | 3.4% | 447,487 | 432,490 | 14,997 | |
| 2013 | 3.7% | 444,195 | 427,715 | 16,480 | |
| 2012 | 4.0% | 443,068 | 425,255 | 17,813 | |
| 2011 | 4.6% | 442,747 | 422,548 | 20,199 | |
| 2010 | 4.9% | 441,257 | 419,777 | 21,480 | |
| 2009 | 4.6% | 439,743 | 419,499 | 20,244 | |
| 2008 | 3.1% | 434,912 | 421,598 | 13,314 | |
| 2007 | 2.8% | 433,189 | 420,861 | 12,328 | |
| 2006 | 3.0% | 430,542 | 417,669 | 12,873 | |
| 2005 | 3.5% | 427,814 | 412,628 | 15,186 | |
| 2004 | 3.6% | 424,656 | 409,493 | 15,163 | |
| 2003 | 3.5% | 421,078 | 406,457 | 14,621 | |
| 2002 | 3.2% | 416,313 | 402,798 | 13,515 | |
| 2001 | 3.0% | 412,497 | 400,076 | 12,421 | |
| 2000 | 2.5% | 407,107 | 396,817 | 10,290 | |
| 1999 | 2.7% | 403,007 | 392,099 | 10,908 | |
| 1998 | 2.9% | 398,813 | 387,372 | 11,441 | |
| 1997 | 2.9% | 394,917 | 383,346 | 11,571 | |
| 1996 | 3.3% | 391,179 | 378,386 | 12,793 | |
| 1995 | 3.2% | 384,288 | 372,091 | 12,197 | |
| 1994 | 3.3% | 375,977 | 363,701 | 12,276 | |
| 1993 | 3.5% | 367,413 | 354,717 | 12,696 | |
| 1992 | 3.4% | 361,165 | 348,771 | 12,394 | |
| 1991 | 3.5% | 355,438 | 342,935 | 12,503 | |
| 1990 | 3.6% | 349,700 | 337,114 | 12,586 | |
| 1989 | 3.9% | 346,145 | 332,550 | 13,595 | |
| 1988 | 4.2% | 343,699 | 329,421 | 14,278 | |
| 1987 | 4.3% | 341,490 | 326,706 | 14,784 | |
| 1986 | 4.6% | 340,403 | 324,617 | 15,786 | |
| 1985 | 4.9% | 337,482 | 321,042 | 16,440 | |
| 1984 | 4.3% | 332,568 | 318,122 | 14,446 | |
| 1983 | 5.2% | 332,237 | 315,041 | 17,196 | |
| 1982 | 5.4% | 331,746 | 313,776 | 17,970 | |
| 1981 | 4.8% | 331,175 | 315,201 | 15,974 | |
| 1980 | 4.7% | 330,945 | 315,306 | 15,639 | |
| 1979 | 3.4% | 326,159 | 315,185 | 10,974 | |
| 1978 | 3.2% | 322,748 | 312,458 | 10,290 | |
| 1977 | 3.4% | 318,691 | 307,876 | 10,815 | |
| 1976 | 3.4% | 311,866 | 301,348 | 10,518 |
BLS LAUS: monthly rates are seasonally adjusted; annual averages are not seasonally adjusted.