With no personal income taxes, no personal property taxes, and one of the lowest unemployment rates in the United States, many people, especially those in the service industry, are actively pursuing South Dakota employment. This comes as somewhat of a surprise to those who merely associate the state with its lavish rolling hills, productive agriculture, far-reaching plains, and picturesque lakes and streams. However, South Dakota employment opportunities are abundant in the government, tourism, retail, education, financial service and health care sectors.
South Dakota unemployment
South Dakota unemployment rate (seasonally adjusted) increased from October 2008 to October 2009 by 1.8% to a rate of 5%
[Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics]
South Dakota Employment Opportunities
Cities like Sioux Falls have quietly transferred their main economic source from agriculture based industry and mining to retail, financial services and health care. South Dakota employment has benefited from the state’s lack of corporate income tax and complimentary banking regulations. Citigroup has quietly emerged as the state’s fourth biggest contributor to South Dakota employment. Sioux Falls is also home to other financial service bigwigs like HSBC, Wells Fargo, PREMIER Bankcard, Capital Card Services, Bank First, Total Card, Inc., and Great Western Bank.
Sioux City also plays a very significant role as a center for health care in the state. Sanford Health (6,743 employees according to the South Dakota Development Foundation) and Avera Health (4,884 employees according to the same SDDF data) are the two largest South Dakota employment providers for those seeking careers in health care.
Retail and dining are also important contributors to Sioux Falls, South Dakota employment with the huge Empire Mall anchoring the city’s primary retail zone, which showcases some very recognizable national chains. Sioux Falls’ east side also has another huge commercial development under construction that will undoubtedly provide plenty of jobs to those seeking South Dakota employment. Downtown Sioux Falls is home to many smaller, independently owned, shopping and dining destinations that serve as an alternative to the major national chains.
Manufacturing, which once dominated Sioux City’s economy, is still a notable supplier of South Dakota employment with the John Morrell meat packing plant, Bell Incorporated, Raven Industries, Tyco, Hutchinson Technology and Gage Brothers employing many in the state.
Rapid City, the state’s second largest city, bases most of their economy around tourism and defense. The city is close in proximity to the Black Hills region, known for historic national attractions like Mount Rushmore and Deadwood, and the Ellsworth Air Force Base, which is the second largest contributor to South Dakota employment.
Tourism in general provides South Dakota employment with roughly 33,000 jobs. In addition to Mount Rushmore and Deadwood are other attractions like the Crazy Horse Memorial, Badlands National Park, Custler State Park, Bear Butte State Park, Wind Cave National Park, the Palisades, and countless other wildernesses preserves and historic trails.
The annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, a five-day event that draws nearly 500,000 attendants each, is another major boon to tourism in the region.
Education is another major player when it comes to South Dakota employment. South Dakota has more educational facilities per capita than any other state in the United States with 168 school districts, 703 public schools and six public universities.
According to May 2009 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, South Dakota employment has a labor force of approximately 446,600. 424,100 of that number are employed with only 22,500 reporting that they are out of work. This gives the state an unemployment rate of 5.0% – well below the national rate.
The same U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics data has South Dakota employment broken down as follows:
Mining, Logging and Construction – 22,800
Manufacturing – 38,800
Trade, Transportation and Utilities – 81,400
Information – 6,900
Financial Activities – 29,900
Professional & Business Services – 26,200
Education & Health Services – 63,300
Leisure and Hospitality – 43,000
Government – 76,500
Other Services – 15,700
South Dakota Employment Resources
Finding employment anywhere in the country requires a clear identification of skills and career interests. The South Dakota Department of Labor – online at http://dol.sd.gov/jobseekerservices/default.aspx – provides programs and services to help jobseekers establish clear goals and a practical plan to securing South Dakota employment. The service helps with everything from skill development to resume writing and job interview preparation. Job hunters can increase their visibility to employers by registering with SDWORKS. SDWORKS is a service that connects job seekers and employers with an average of 10,000 job openings posted at any given time.
Proforceservices.com can also help connect job hunters with companies looking for short term, long term, full time or part time temporary staffing solutions.
South Dakota Living Conditions
The 2000 U.S. Census ranked South Dakota fifth lowest in the nation when it came to total population and population density, however, subsequent data has indicated a slight increase in population, undoubtedly due to a favorable cost of living, the modernization of culture and amenities, and positive South Dakota employment figures.
Those in the 18-35 year-old and 35-65 year-old demographics dominate the state’s population with half of the population being female. 2005 Census Bureau data broke the state’s race and ethnicity demographics down to 88.5% of the population as White, 8.8% as American Indian or Native Alaskan, 2.1% Hispanic or Latino, 0.8% as Black, 0.7% as Asian, and 2.1% being racially mixed.
Protestants, Lutherans and Roman Catholics make up the bulk of the state’s religious base.
The state’s weather has four very distinct seasons. Winters are very cold with below freezing temperatures. While winter months are mostly dry, South Dakota is known for the occasional severe blizzard and ice storm. Summer months tend to be hot and very humid with frequent severe thunderstorms and even tornados in the eastern region of the state.
There has been somewhat of an art and cultural renaissance in the state due to an emerging younger demographic and an increase in white collar South Dakota employment. In particular, Sioux City has worked diligently to establish more arts and culture in the state with the Sioux City Arts Council aiding in the development of more performance spaces, theatre, art, and coffee houses in their city. On the music front, the Sioux City Jazz and Blues Festival, a free two-day outdoor music festival, has become an annual summer tradition.
South Dakota Employment
For decades, South Dakota has been viewed as primarily a farming state with more cattle, hogs, soybeans, corn and wheat than white-collar jobs. But South Dakota is reinventing itself before our very eyes and South Dakota employment opportunities are diverse in scope with promising statistics even in the midst of an unstable economy and job market.
