Governor Kristi Noem’s Weekly Column: South Dakota Strong

South Dakota Strong
By: Governor Kristi Noem
June 11, 2021

South Dakota has the strongest economy in America. In fact, a recent study by Moody’s Analytics says that South Dakota is one of only 2 states to be in a stronger economic position than we were before the pandemic. That’s no small deal. At a time when other states are still struggling to recover from the devastating shutdowns imposed on them by shortsighted politicians, South Dakota is thriving.

Our unemployment rate of 2.8% – the lowest in America – means that every South Dakotan who wants a job should have little problem finding one. In fact, there are ten job openings available for every South Dakotan currently receiving unemployment. WalletHub took notice of this by declaring that South Dakota is the #1 ranked state in America to find a job right now.

This has led to a tremendous bit of good news: more South Dakota teenagers are joining the workforce than in recent years. This means that our kids will learn the dignity of earning a paycheck. They’ll realize life skills that they otherwise may not picked up until years later. This will pay tremendous dividends down the road as our teenagers blossom into adults.

For South Dakota workers who had been looking for the opportunity to start a new career, there is no better time than right now. Folks across the state are in serious need of hard-working employees, and South Dakotans have hard work and determination in spades. If you’ve been nervous to take that leap, I’d encourage you to seriously consider whether now is the right time to launch a career that can lead to years of success.

Our tourism industry is soaring. Wall Drug broke its single day record for sales this Memorial Day. Our visitation numbers are on pace to break annual records. Visitation to our state parks in particular is far above what it was last year – when we broke the previous record. People are paying attention to South Dakota, and they like what they see.

We have opportunities to continue building on this success. Sioux Falls was just named the #1 city in America for young professionals, and the city will only grow stronger as this economic growth continues. I’ve always said that South Dakotans have grit. They’re strong. And thanks to their hard work, South Dakota’s economy is strong, too.

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