[Washington Examiner] South Dakota's unemployment rate has rebounded well since the pandemic, according to a new report from WalletHub.South Dakota’s unemployment rate in December 2021 was 2.6%, an improvement from its 3% unemployment rate the previous December. The state ranked ninth in terms of improvement to its jobless rate, according to the report.
South Dakota is the only state with an unemployment rate better than its rate before the pandemic, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In December 2019, South Dakota’s unemployment rate was 3.4%.
The state was the only one to not implement pandemic-related shutdowns.
The U.S. unemployment rate is 3.9%, significantly lower than the historic high of 14.7% in April 2020, according to WalletHub's report.
Sectors that are growing include leisure and hospitality, professional and business services, transportation and warehousing, construction and manufacturing.
Analysts said the economy is seeing a shift toward more jobs focusing on computer engineering, online sales and artificial intelligence, and skills in those areas would do workers well when looking for jobs.
"Technology-related skills will continue to be in high demand," said Joshua Congdon-Hohman, an associate professor at the College of the Holy Cross. "Specifically, I expect the adoption of educational technology to accelerate as educational institutions are forced to be more flexible and nimbler in the aftermath of the pandemic. I fear brick-and-mortar retail will not recover, suggesting alternatives will also remain strong leading to higher growth in warehouse and delivery related fields."