How can “the strongest economy in the nation” not have the strongest job growth in the nation?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics released August job growth figures on Friday. Every state shows more people at work this August than one year ago, but 39 states (including D.C.) added jobs at a faster rate than South Dakota:
South Dakota had 10,100 more jobs in August 2022 than in August 2021, a 2.3% increase. Minnesota added 67,900 jobs over the same period, a 2.4% increase. Iowa, North Dakota, and Wyoming had better job-growth percentages; Montana tied us at 2.3%; Nebraska brought up the regional rear at 2.0%.
Nine states saw statistically significant job growth from July to August: Washington, Virginia, South Carolina, Oregon, New York, New Jersey, Kentucky, Georgia, Colorado, and Alaska.
South Dakota’s jobless rate is the sixth-best in the nation, tied with North Dakota’s 2.3%. Minnesota has the lowest unemployment in the U.S. at 1.9%, followed by New Hampshire and Utah at 2.0% and Vermont and Nebraska at 2.0%. The states with the highest unemployment—Delaware, Illinois, Alaska, and New York—are still below 5%. Only D.C. and Puerto Rico are worse off than the 5% that used to be considered full employment.
