As of June 2015, South Dakota is currently one of the best states in the nation for employment. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, South Dakota has an unemployment rate of 3.8%, which is tied for the sixth best rate in the nation.
The national unemployment rate average is 5.3%, which means South Dakota is better than average in terms of employment for its citizens. Nebraska is currently the best state in the nation with an unemployment rate of 2.6%. West Virginia comes in last with an unemployment rate of 7.4%.
| Rank | State | Rate |
| 1 | NEBRASKA | 2.6 |
| 2 | NORTH DAKOTA | 3.1 |
| 3 | UTAH | 3.5 |
| 4 | VERMONT | 3.6 |
| 5 | IOWA | 3.7 |
| 6 | NEW HAMPSHIRE | 3.8 |
| 6 | SOUTH DAKOTA | 3.8 |
| 8 | MINNESOTA | 3.9 |
| 8 | MONTANA | 3.9 |
| 10 | HAWAII | 4 |
| 10 | IDAHO | 4 |
| 12 | WYOMING | 4.1 |
| 13 | TEXAS | 4.2 |
| 14 | COLORADO | 4.4 |
| 15 | KANSAS | 4.5 |
| 15 | OKLAHOMA | 4.5 |
| 17 | MASSACHUSETTS | 4.6 |
| 17 | WISCONSIN | 4.6 |
| 19 | DELAWARE | 4.7 |
| 19 | MAINE | 4.7 |
| 21 | INDIANA | 4.9 |
| 21 | VIRGINIA | 4.9 |
| 23 | KENTUCKY | 5.1 |
| 24 | MARYLAND | 5.2 |
| 24 | OHIO | 5.2 |
| 26 | WASHINGTON | 5.3 |
| 27 | PENNSYLVANIA | 5.4 |
| 28 | FLORIDA | 5.5 |
| 28 | MICHIGAN | 5.5 |
| 28 | NEW YORK | 5.5 |
| 28 | OREGON | 5.5 |
| 32 | ARKANSAS | 5.7 |
| 32 | CONNECTICUT | 5.7 |
| 32 | TENNESSEE | 5.7 |
| 35 | MISSOURI | 5.8 |
| 35 | NORTH CAROLINA | 5.8 |
| 37 | ARIZONA | 5.9 |
| 37 | ILLINOIS | 5.9 |
| 37 | RHODE ISLAND | 5.9 |
| 40 | ALABAMA | 6.1 |
| 40 | GEORGIA | 6.1 |
| 40 | NEW JERSEY | 6.1 |
| 43 | CALIFORNIA | 6.3 |
| 44 | LOUISIANA | 6.4 |
| 44 | NEW MEXICO | 6.4 |
| 46 | MISSISSIPPI | 6.6 |
| 46 | SOUTH CAROLINA | 6.6 |
| 48 | ALASKA | 6.8 |
| 49 | NEVADA | 6.9 |
| 50 | DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA | 7 |
| 51 | WEST VIRGINIA | 7.4 |
