By Andrew Atwal
andrew.atwal@yankton.net

As the nation’s economic recovery continues to struggle, Yankton County and surrounding areas have not seen all of the impacts of the stalled economy.

Since March, Yankton County has seen its unemployment rate hover around 4 percent. It has actually fallen from 4.3 percent in March down to 4 percent in June.

In the area, Hutchinson County has had an unemployment rate of under 4 percent since March, while the unemployment rate in Charles Mix has stayed around 5 percent. Bon Homme and Clay counties have seen their unemployment below 5 percent as well.

Dawn Dovre, public affairs director at the Department of Labor and Regulation, said Gov. Dennis Daugaard’s South Dakota Workforce Initiatives (SD WINS) could be having a big impact on the economy.

“SD WINS is Gov. Daugaard’s 20-point plan to address short- and long-term workforce needs,” she said. “SD WINS is a collaborative effort of business, education, health and labor leaders to create a well-trained and well-educated workforce for the job market of today and tomorrow.”

SD WINS is a program that brings together government, education and business leaders to capitalize on many of the state’s offerings. The program should help South Dakota develop and attract a stronger, more educated workforce, which will also help the state to compete in the continuously changing global economy.

Some of the highest growing labor fields in South Dakota include fabricated metal product manufacturing, which is expected to grow by about 17 percent by 2020. Computer and electronic product manufacturing is expected to grow by nearly 16 percent by 2020. Machinery manufacturing workers are expected to grow nearly 13 percent during the next eight years, while transportation equipment manufacturing employee numbers are projected to increase by nearly 14 percent.

Also from 2010-2020, the fastest growing industries in the state are projected to be ambulatory health care services (a 28.5 percent expected increase), waste management and remediation service (a projected 23.4 percent increase), and construction of buildings, which is projected to increase by more than 22 percent.

The industries in South Dakota that are expected to take the sharpest declines by 2020 include private households, an expected 7.5 percent decrease; telecommunications a projected 3.5 percent decrease; and broadcasting (not including Internet), a projected 2.7 percent decrease.

The state Department of Labor (DLR) helps employees that are out of work, or searching for a better opportunity, potentially finding jobs.

“The projects DLR are currently involved in include Dakota Roots, getting people their National Career Readiness Certificates (NCRC) and finding internship opportunities for students,” Dovre said.

There are 18 local DLR offices throughout South Dakota, which provide a wide range of employer services, including screening and testing job seekers to match business needs, offering job training programs and maintaining South Dakota’s largest job database.

The Yankton DLR office posts job openings in Yankton, Bon Homme and Charles Mix counties, and a few openings in surrounding areas, including Hartington and Crofton.

The DLR notes that there is plentiful job availability right now and there are a variety of job openings, not just for one specific area. New businesses that open in the area will contact the DLR to post job openings online.

“We provide helpful advice with labor laws and other employment issues to employers in the area,” Dovre said. “Our local staff all have close ties with local development groups and other business and labor organizations in order to stay in tune with what’s happening.”

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