South Dakota broke the record for the lowest unemployment rate in the U.S., registering 1.8 percent in June.
The state shares the new record with New Hampshire. The national jobless rate in June was 3.6 percent, down from 3.7 percent the previous month and the same as a year ago.
The unemployment rate for the Sioux Falls metro area in June was unchanged at 1.7 percent – its record-tying low and the lowest in the country along with four metropolitan areas in New England.
The state has more than 24,000 job openings, according to a news release from the governor’s office.
In June, Gov. Kristi Noem started a Freedom Works Here national workforce recruitment advertising campaign, leading to more than 3,500 applicants by late July, according to the governor’s office. Of those, 675 are in the final stages of moving to South Dakota. The most applications have come from California at 603, Texas at 260, Florida at 245, Minnesota at 208 and New York at 148.
This month, the Labor Department is offering help to businesses and those working for jobs.