June 17, 2024

The unemployment rate in the Sioux Falls metro area dipped to 1.8 percent in April, tying it for the third-lowest rate in the U.S.

The Gulfport area in Mississippi also had a 1.8 percent jobless rate. Metro areas in Ames, Iowa, and Hattiesburg and Jackson, Mississippi, were the lowest at 1.6 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Burlington, Vermont, and Iowa City, Iowa, tied for second at 1.7 percent.

For the Sioux Falls metro area, which includes Minnehaha, Lincoln, McCook and Turner counties, April’s rate is down from 1.9 percent in March, according to the South Dakota Department of Labor & Regulation.

The Sioux Falls unemployment rate, which is not seasonally adjusted and is preliminary, represents 2,911 residents who do not have jobs, have actively looked for one in the past four weeks and are available to work. It also includes those who have been laid off temporarily. In March, the number of unemployed was 3,074.

The total labor force for the Sioux Falls MSA, those who are employed and unemployed, was 163,938 in April, up from 163,263 the previous month.

A year ago, the metro area jobless rate was 1.9 percent, with 3,155 people who were unemployed out of a labor force of 165,599.

The number of job openings in the Sioux Falls MSA rose slightly to 13,218 in April, according to the state’s virtual labor market data system. There were 13,188 open positions the previous month. A year ago, there were 16,257 openings.

Nonfarm wage and salaried worker levels in the Sioux Falls MSA rose by 700 people to 171,400 from March to April. The category of mining, logging and construction saw the biggest increase at 5.1 percent, or 600 jobs, followed by professional and business services at 1.2 percent, or 200 jobs. The biggest decline was 2.1 percent in financial activities, a loss of 300 jobs.

Compared with a year ago, overall nonfarm wage and salaried worker levels were up 0.9 percent in the MSA.

South Dakota’s unemployment rate dipped to 2 percent in April, compared with 2.1 percent in March.

That’s the lowest rate for the country, along with North Dakota at 2 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. California again had the highest unemployment rate, unchanged from March at 5.3 percent.

The state’s jobless rate, which is seasonally adjusted, represents 9,700 people who do not have jobs, have actively looked for one in the past four weeks and are available to work, along with those laid off temporarily, according to the state Labor Department. A year ago, the rate was 1.9 percent, and there were 9,200 unemployed South Dakotans.

In April, South Dakota’s labor force remained unchanged from the previous month at 481,500. A year ago, it was 479,600.

The labor supply, those who would be available to staff a new or expanding business, was estimated at 40,715 people. That’s down 7 percent from 43,865 in March and includes people who are not working and those who would like to change jobs.

The national unemployment rate rose to 3.9 percent in April from 3.8 percent in March. A year ago, the rate was 3.4 percent.

On Thursday, the Sioux Falls Job Service office is sponsoring a virtual hiring event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The virtual hiring event is designed to allow job-seekers to visit online with employers in the Sioux Falls area to learn about their companies and job openings, and potentially interview on the same day.

Participating businesses can build brand awareness, find a pool of qualified candidates, benefit from real-time interactions with potential employees, and save time and money finding qualified employees, the office said in a news release.

Registration is required for job-seekers and businesses. Go to dlr.sd.gov/virtual-job-fairs.aspx, and click the appropriate registration link.

Businesses and job-seekers may register up to the day of the event. Registering in advance will provide opportunities to review user guides offered within the virtual platform before the event.

The next Stroll Sioux Falls Hiring Event will be held in person from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 18 at the Job Service office at 811 E. 10th St. Businesses are invited to sign up for events by calling Alicyn Even at 605-789-4408 or Paul Robson at 605-910-4833 at the Sioux Falls Job Service office.

All hiring events are offered to businesses and job-seekers for free.