Rapid City, South Dakota Unemployment
The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Rapid City rose 0.1 percentage points in September 2023 to 2.0%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.1 percentage points higher than the South Dakota rate. The unemployment rate in Rapid City peaked in April 2020 at 11.0% and is now 9.0 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 1.7% in April 2023, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.3 percentage points. You can also compare Rapid City unemployment with unemployment in other cities.
| Unemployment Rate | September 2023 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National | 3.8% | 0.0 | +0.3 |
| South Dakota | 1.9% | 0.0 | -0.3 |
| Rapid City | 2.0% | +0.1 | -0.2 |
Unemployment Rate: Rapid City, South Dakota, National
Note: Recessions shown in gray.
Rapid City, South Dakota Unemployed
The number of people unemployed in Rapid City peaked in April 2020 at 8,230. There are now 6,639 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 1,396 in April 2023, the number of unemployed has now grown by 195. Rapid City employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Rapid City, South Dakota) is also available.
| Unemployed Persons | September 2023 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid City | 1,591 | +61 | -158 |
Number of Unemployed Persons
Rapid City, South Dakota Unemployment History
| Date | National Unemployment Rate |
South Dakota Unemployment Rate |
Rapid City Unemployment Rate |
Rapid City Unemployed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2023 |
3.9% | 2.0% | — | — |
| September 2023 |
3.8% | 1.9% | 2.0% | 1,591 |
| August 2023 |
3.8% | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1,530 |
| July 2023 |
3.5% | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1,494 |
| June 2023 |
3.6% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1,454 |
| May 2023 |
3.7% | 1.9% | 1.8% | 1,428 |
| April 2023 |
3.4% | 1.9% | 1.7% | 1,396 |
| March 2023 |
3.5% | 1.9% | 1.8% | 1,444 |
| February 2023 |
3.6% | 2.1% | 2.0% | 1,562 |
| January 2023 |
3.4% | 2.1% | 2.0% | 1,620 |
| December 2022 |
3.5% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 1,708 |
| November 2022 |
3.6% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 1,713 |
1. Metro area unemployment rates are now seasonally adjusted. The BLS has started publishing smoothed seasonally adjusted metropolitan area data which makes comparisons to state and national data more relevant than the unadjusted numbers. ↩
Department of Numbers
The Department of Numbers contextualizes public data so that individuals can form independent opinions on everyday social and economic matters.
