Department of Numbers

Rapid City, South Dakota Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Rapid City rose 0.1 percentage points in September 2022 to 2.4%. 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 8.6 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 2.3% in May 2022, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.1 percentage points. You can also compare Rapid City unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate September 2022 Month/Month Year/Year
National 3.5% -0.2 -1.2
South Dakota 2.3% 0.0 -0.8
Rapid City 2.4% +0.1 -0.7
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with September 2022 data as October 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 8,185. There are now 6,337 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 1,804 in May 2022, the number of unemployed has now grown by 44. Rapid City employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Rapid City, South Dakota) is also available.

Unemployed Persons September 2022 Month/Month Year/Year
Rapid City 1,848 +6 -562

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
2022		 3.7% — — —
September
2022		 3.5% 2.3% 2.4% 1,848
August
2022		 3.7% 2.3% 2.3% 1,842
July
2022		 3.5% 2.3% 2.3% 1,820
June
2022		 3.6% 2.3% 2.3% 1,813
May
2022		 3.6% 2.3% 2.3% 1,804
April
2022		 3.6% 2.3% 2.4% 1,838
March
2022		 3.6% 2.5% 2.5% 1,938
February
2022		 3.8% 2.6% 2.6% 2,052
January
2022		 4.0% 2.8% 2.8% 2,163
December
2021		 3.9% 2.9% 3.0% 2,298
November
2021		 4.2% 2.9% 3.0% 2,297

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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