Unemployment claims rise in South Dakota jobs report

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - Unemployment numbers in South Dakota continue to fluctuate as the state’s economy deals with the ongoing effects of the pandemic.

The Department of Labor received 818 first-time unemployment claims last week, an increase of nearly 400 from the previous week. While this number remains lower than the early months of the pandemic, it is a stark increase from the 300-500 weekly claims the state has received over the past few months.

Continued unemployment claims also rose in the state’s latest jobs report. The state received 3,847 continued claims for the week ending Nov. 28, an increase of 832 from the prior week’s total of 3,015.

Labor officials previously said they expect unemployment numbers to continue to fluctuate during the pandemic.

Nationwide, unemployment claims rose to 853,000 in the face of increased COVID-19 numbers.