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South Dakota records lowest jobless rate in August

South Dakota records lowest jobless rate in August

SIA Editorial Staff
| September 20, 2024
South Dakota Capital Building at night

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South Dakota posted the lowest jobless rates among all US states in August at 2.0%, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Vermont and North Dakota closely followed at 2.2% and 2.3%, respectively.

Conversely, the District of Columbia (which is measured with the states) recorded the highest unemployment rate in August at 5.7%, followed by Nevada at 5.5%.

In total, 27 states had unemployment rates lower than the US figure of 4.2%, four states and the District of Columbia had higher rates and 19 states had rates that were not appreciably different from the national figure.

Four states posted over-the-year decreases in their jobless rates. Arizona recorded the largest decline, down 0.7 percentage point to 3.4%. Mississippi’s rate fell 0.5 percentage point to 2.7%, while Connecticut and Wisconsin each dropped 0.4 percentage point to 3.4% and 2.9%, respectively.

On the flip side, the largest year-over-year unemployment rate increases occurred in Rhode Island, up 1.7 percentage points to 4.6%, and South Carolina, up 1.4 percentage points to 4.3%.