Sept. 22, 2025
When Heidi Myers saw a question posted on Facebook this summer asking about experiences looking for a job in Sioux Falls, she was quick to respond.
“It’s insane. I’ve been applying like crazy,” Myers commented.
Myers said she lost her job in late April when her employer switched management and decided to hire entry-level business analysts instead.
“Luckily, I knew someone with a cleaning business who took me on full time immediately,” she said. “I was looking for an office assistant or medical reception kind of role.”
She started applying for jobs in May, submitted her resume to 70 listings online through Indeed and had three responses.
“I have a very diversified resume, and it was super-ridiculous,” she added. “I was trying to be patient because I wanted the right job, but it was frustrating to not hear anything from jobs I was super-qualified for.”
Myers is happy to report that she started in her new role as a health case management assistant in late August.
Others who chimed in to share their own experiences hadn’t been as fortunate, expressing frustration with the hiring process while finding solidarity with others in a similar position.
One post read: “I did not think it would be this hard with my resume to get a decent job in a city that has a million ‘we are hiring’ signs everywhere.”
A commenter agreed, writing: “I hear this a lot that people can’t even get called back. Yet places close so often over staffing issues. It just makes no sense.”
“I’ve heard from so many, it’s horrible. My daughter is 16 and has applied everywhere with never even a response, but I know people with college degrees and awesome job experience having trouble with no response from places,” another added.
“My husband has a great resume and over 172 applications since last October. Just gotta keep trying and hope someone gets back to you,” one woman said.
On paper, the United States job market looks strong. The Sioux Falls one looks even stronger.
Dipping back to 1.7 percent, the unemployment rate for July in the Sioux Falls metro area continued to be the lowest in the country, but job seekers said they still struggle to get hired, and recent grads report that the market has been tough.
The number of job openings in the Sioux Falls MSA rose to 11,014 in July, according to the state’s virtual labor market data system. There were 10,489 open positions the previous month. A year ago, there were 12,008 openings.
“It’s really a job seeker’s market right now,” said state Labor and Regulation Secretary Marcia Hultman.
“Those newly joining the workforce or those wanting to re-career have many options since there are more jobs available than people to fill them.”
As of late July, the following list shows the top 10 industries with job openings advertised online in South Dakota:
Health care and social assistance, 3,792
Retail trade, 1,288
Accommodation and food services, 805
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services, 799
Educational services, 751
Manufacturing, 721
Professional, scientific and technical services, 568
Wholesale trade, 420
Finance and insurance, 314
Unclassified establishments, 6,076
“Our post-secondary education system in South Dakota works hard to offer programs in which graduates will have a job after receiving their credentials,” Hultman said. “I encourage students, parents and teachers to take advantage of our career exploration tools to make informed decisions as well.”
She also noted: “To help with recruitment efforts, businesses have been taking a close look at their job requirements, making their core values more visible and focusing on retention through mentorships. At the department level, we offer training and upskilling opportunities to youth, older workers and ex-offenders.”
But finding the right job – or sometimes any job at all – can feel daunting.
Brady Henge eagerly attended a hiring event in late August by the state Labor Department featuring Hart2Hart Inc., the franchisee for local McDonald’s locations.
“I want a stable career, and I doubt McDonald’s is going anywhere anytime soon,” Henge said.
“I’ve worked at many places, and this seems like a good work environment. I’m a fast learner with a lot of experience in the food service industry.”
Recent graduates also are finding an increasingly challenging job market.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that college graduates age 23 to 27 are experiencing 4.59 percent unemployment this year, up from 3.25 percent in 2019.
“This 1.34 percentage point increase represents more than just a statistical noise; it reflects a significant shift in how the economy is absorbing newly educated workers,” according to a report from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. “The magnitude of this change becomes even more striking when compared with that of other demographic groups. Noncollege-educated workers in the same age range have seen a 0.47 percentage point increase in unemployment, while older college graduates have experienced a 0.38 percentage point rise.
“These disparities suggest that the traditional premium associated with higher education — at least for quickly landing a job — may be weakening. Recent graduates are finding themselves in an increasingly competitive environment where their educational credentials don’t guarantee the same level of employment security they once did.”
Statewide, graduates of professional degree programs such as health professions, engineering or education continue to see very high rates of job placement within six months of graduation, said Kevin Fullerton, director of career development at South Dakota State University.
Graduates in other disciplines are continuing to achieve high placement rates, especially among the graduates who complete internships as students, he said.
“Generally, bachelor’s degrees are still competitive,” he added. “Even though there is a lot of talk about employers doing skills-based hiring, national data shows employers still value the bachelor’s degree over students without a college degree. Advanced degrees are still a valuable way to focus on specializations.”
Fullerton said automation is being used for certain tasks such as scheduling, taking minutes, data analysis and report generation.
“However, AI will always require someone to verify the work,” he said. “I do not see automation eliminating positions necessarily, but the positions will evolve. The new entry-level position will likely raise up to the next tier of job families such as program coordinators, advisers, etc. It will be important for graduates to know how to use AI and automation tools effectively and ethically. The applicants who know how to use AI will get the job.”
AI is having a significant impact on the application process itself, though, he added.
“It is no longer solely large corporations who are relying on some version of applicant tracking systems to screen applications,” Fullerton said.
“This is happening in the full range of employment opportunities, from local independent small businesses to global corporations. The constant push toward efficiency is not always a good thing. Long term, I think people will grow tired of the negative aspects of AI usage. We will recognize nuances in entry-level positions that are lost because of automation, which will result in us turning back toward personal connections and analog methodologies. We are already seeing this happen in some areas.”
To learn more
To help individual career planners and job seekers identify occupations with the most favorable job outlook from a labor market perspective, the Labor Market Information Center identifies high demand-high wage occupations, or “Hot Careers.”
It also holds weekly hiring and recruitment events at the new Sioux Falls One Stop office at Dawley Farm Village. The next is for Hart2Hart/McDonald’s, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday.
For additional information and upcoming events for job seekers and employers, or to book an appointment with the job service office, check out this page through the state.