Unemployment Rate Rising
Local News
by
Brittany Scheck
last edited on
Friday, March 12, 2010
The unemployment rate in Rapid City is up, reaching 5.6 percent in January.
And some local employment agencies say the proof is in the foot traffic in their establishments.
The activity in the Rapid City Department of Labor Office is up about 200 people a month when compared to the same time last year.
A representative for the department says the numbers reflect the impact of an exceptionally hard winter season on the construction industry.
No matter which area of work you are seeking, the key may just be to keep your mind open to an array of job opportunities.
Fred Dieken, Assistant Manager of the South Dakota Department of Labor, said, "There's still jobs out there, we still have listings, it's not always going to replace the job that they lost, but we are certainly here to help. We can help with resumes, interviews, job search skills, and you know you may have to take a job to get you by until you get back to that career path that you were on before."
A Rapid City temp agency representative told Newscenter 1 that employers are hiring, but some are turning to temporary workers as the economy continues to rebuild.
Janet Christensen, Branch Manager of Adecco, said, "I think that confidence is definitely a player in what they are seeing they want to make sure that they don't have to do layoffs and that they don't have to let people go. You know employers in this market really pride themselves on being able to take care of their employee."
Unemployment rates in the Black Hills in February were still far below the 9.7percent national average