U.S. EMPLOYMENT
EXPLORATION: SOUTH DAKOTA
By
Georgia Adamson,
United States Career Advisor
South
Dakota offers a rich history, peopled by colorful and influential characters
such as Lewis and Clark, Calamity Jane, Wild Bill Hickok, General Custer and
Sitting Bull. It also boasts well-known scenic wonders, including Mount
Rushmore and the gold-rich Black Hills. That makes it an interesting place
to visit, but if you’re thinking about moving there, you’ll need to consider
other factors.
The 17th
largest U.S. state, South Dakota also has a population close to 771,000
according to the state’s Labor Market Information Center (LMIC). It ranks
second-lowest in the country for total crime, based on information tracked by
the U.S. Department of Justice/FBI.
Climate & Geography
South
Dakota claims several nicknames. Official designated as The Mount Rushmore
State, it’s also known as The Blizzard State, which gives a clue to one aspect
of its climate: severe winter weather.
Temperatures include a record high of 120 degrees Fahrenheit and a record low of
–58. Monthly averages range from 1.9 to 86.5 degrees. Annual precipitation runs
from 14-16 inches (mostly in the northwest) to 27-30 inches. Much of the eastern
half of the state receives between 18 and 25 inches.
Prairie,
grassland and farmland cover approximately 90 percent of South Dakota. The
southern portion includes the Black Hills and Badlands National Park. The
capital, Pierre, isn’t among the five largest cities, which include Sioux Falls
and Rapid City.
Economy: Cost of Living vs. Income
South
Dakota has no personal income tax, personal property tax or real property tax at
the state level. Its cost of living places it among the least expensive states.
According to ACCRA figures for third quarter 2004, the Sioux Falls
cost-of-living composite index was 95.2, making it third-lowest regionally and
second-lowest in the national comparison. Rent.com shows the state as four
percent below the national average.
Infoplease.com provides information from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)
that shows per capita income for 2004 at about $30,800 compared to a national
average around $32,900. Other BEA figures indicate a 2003 average of about
$28,800. Only 16 of 66 counties had an average per capita income of $30,000 or
higher.
Jobs, Wages & Unemployment
According
to South Dakota’s Department of Labor, the 10 fastest-growing industries for
2004-2014 are social assistance; ambulatory healthcare services; waste
management and remediation service; amusement, gambling and recreation; museums,
historical sites and similar institutions; sporting goods, hobby, book and music
stores; hospitals; internet service providers, web search portals and data;
repair and maintenance; and professional, scientific and technical Services.
The
industries expected to decline most rapidly are apparel manufacturing; textile
product mills; computer and electronic product manufacturing; primary metal
manufacturing; and agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting.
You can
also find information from the Department of Labor’s web site on the
fastest-growing occupations for 2002-2012 and those projected to need the most
workers. None of the top-listed occupations is at management level, and only one
is related to high-tech: network systems and data communications analysts.
As shown
by the LMIC’s Covered Workers Annual Information list, wages vary greatly from
one industry to another and within industries from one sub-category to another.
For example, the information industry average salary is $34,614; but internet
publishing/broadcasting is only $17,711, while ISPs/search portals/data
processing is $53,376.
Numerous
web sites enable you to compare wages and cost of living between two areas. For
instance, salary.com has a Cost-of-Living Wizard.
South
Dakota’s initial unemployment rate for January-March 2006 ranged from 3.9 to 4.0
percent. In 2002 it had the lowest rate in the U.S., at 3.5 percent, compared to
the national average of 5.8 percent (according to the Bureau of Labor
Statistics/U.S. Department of Labor).
State-Related Resources
In
addition to the official South Dakota web site, you can also find useful
information from many other resources, including the South Dakota Chamber of
Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau Index. If you need information on
professional associations, one way is to ask Google to search for, say,
“professional associations, Pierre, South Dakota.”
Online Resources
About Author
Georgia Adamson provides career-management services, including personal
coaching programs and résumé - and cover letter writing services, through her
company,
A Successful Career.
Adamson works with job seekers and career changers from entry to executive level
throughout the United States and in several other countries. Her résumés and
cover letters have appeared in nine books, and she is a Certified Employment
Interview Professional, a Credentialed Career Master, a Job and Career
Transition Coach, a Certified Professional Résumé Writer and a Certified Career
Management Coach.
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