Department of Numbers

Rapid City, South Dakota Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Rapid City fell 0.0 percentage points in November 2021 to 2.8%. 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 11.7% and is now 8.9 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 2.5% in July 2021, 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 November 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
National 4.2% -0.4 -2.5
South Dakota 2.7% -0.1 -0.9
Rapid City 2.8% 0.0 -0.9
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with November 2021 data as December metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Rapid City, South Dakota, National

Rapid City, South Dakota monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Rapid City, South Dakota Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Rapid City peaked in April 2020 at 8,848. There are now 6,756 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 1,894 in July 2021, the number of unemployed has now grown by 198. Rapid City employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Rapid City, South Dakota) is also available.

Unemployed Persons November 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
Rapid City 2,092 -55 -662

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
December
2021		 3.9% — — —
November
2021		 4.2% 2.7% 2.8% 2,092
October
2021		 4.6% 2.8% 2.8% 2,147
September
2021		 4.7% 2.9% 2.8% 2,095
August
2021		 5.2% 2.9% 2.7% 2,041
July
2021		 5.4% 2.9% 2.5% 1,894
June
2021		 5.9% 2.9% 3.1% 2,362
May
2021		 5.8% 2.8% 2.9% 2,242
April
2021		 6.0% 2.8% 2.9% 2,205
March
2021		 6.0% 2.9% 3.0% 2,258
February
2021		 6.2% 3.0% 3.1% 2,408
January
2021		 6.4% 3.1% 3.4% 2,604

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. ↩

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