While many rural areas of South Dakota have experienced a roller coaster economy, its two metropolitan areas have mirrored nationwide trends by showing comparatively strong job growth.
According to reports by the state Department of Labor, the state saw the creation of more than 85,000 jobs in the last 10 years, a 30 percent increase. Almost 31,000 of those jobs landed in Sioux Falls alone—a 40 percent increase for the city during this period. Another 11,500 were created in the Rapid City area, the state's other metro region.
Given the rough farm economy, the metro areas were largely responsible for keeping South Dakota from experiencing a net decline in employment in 1999. The Labor Department estimated that Sioux Falls employment rose by 3,200, and Rapid City by 600, while employment statewide grew by only 1,200.
