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Governor Kristi Noem says South Dakota has recovered most of the jobs it’s lost during the pandemic, but an analyst for the FDIC has different numbers.

Two weeks ago, Noem tweeted that South Dakota has regained 80 percent of its job losses.

In The Moment … July 27, 2020 Show 867 Hour 2

Ernie Otten won his 4th term in the South Dakota state senate serving District 6. This fall, he would like to represent you in the state house of representatives. Otten is running in support of limited government and focusing on growing jobs. Ernie Otten is with us today all in part of our Meet the Candidates series.

In The Moment … May 18, 2020 Show 819 Hour 1

The recent release of the April jobs report put the nation's unemployment rate at 14.7% and showed a loss of 20.5 million jobs during the month. Neel Kashkari, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, fears that the unemployment rate is understated and that the real number is much more devastating. Neel Kashkari was a virtual guest for last week's Morning Fill Up hosted by Matt Ehlman of the Numad Group. 

In this In the Moment news special, we hear a recap of South Dakota's first digital Veto Day and the actions brought up to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Plus, the impacts of the pandemic on the legal world, the South Dakota economy, med students, and more. 

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Nearly an 800% increase in unemployment claims, Governor Noem issues an executive order, schools around South Dakota adjust to online learning, and more in this week's "In the Moment" news podcast. 

In The Moment ... March 26, 2020 Show 782 Hour 1

SDPB brings you the latest on coronavirus in South Dakota. You can find all our reporting on the website SDPB.org/covid. Today we look at South Dakotans out of work. SDPB's Seth Tupper joins us with more.

In The Moment ... March 9, 2020 Show 769 Hour 1

House lawmakers are minutes away from taking up one of Governor Kristi Noem's pieces of legislation. She says Senate Bill 157 will streamline the county permitting process for projects that require Conditional Use Permits... like hog barns and wind farms. She says it's part of her initiative to bring more jobs to South Dakota and keep what she calls the "next generation" here. Joining us to unpack Senate Bill 157 is SDPB's Lee Strubinger.

Avera leaders say a new campus in Sioux Falls can better serve people with specialty health needs and promote economic growth. Wednesday Avera Health announced plans for building projects including new buildings and a surgical hospital.

Avera on Louise is the name of an additional campus planned for 82 acres at 69th Street and Louise Avenue in Sioux Falls.

Dr. Dave Kapaska is Avera McKennan Hospital’s President and CEO.

Leaders use the phrase "workforce shortage" often as South Dakota sees low unemployment and a mismatch of skills with job openings. Local hospitals and clinics are not immune. One area health organizations is paying to train students for positions they can’t fill. In turn, students learn on-the-job during internships and commit to staying in town for a few years.

People who study differences across generations say they have some tips for business leaders and workers. Experts with a Minneapolis organization are in Sioux Falls. They’re discussing the social and business benefits of creating a collaborative atmosphere across ages.

Scott Zimmer is the Generation X representative for BridgeWorks. Hannah Ubl is the millennial. They both say all age groups attract stereotypes. 

"Scott’s generation was slackers, grunge, Nirvana, flannel,” Ubl says.

Governor Dennis Daugaard is supporting a constitutional  amendment to separate technical schools from the k-12 education system. Amendment R also changes the state’s constitution allowing technical schools to be governed apart from the Board of Regents.

Governor Dennis Daugaard says Amendment R updates the state constitution to meet the demand for technical workers. 

The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe is working with the City of Pierre to establish a plan that would assist tribal members in filling employment needs in the state’s capital. SDPB’s Jim Kent visited with the Mayor of Pierre and a Cheyenne River Sioux tribal spokesperson to learn more about joint plans to fill at least some of the city’s 600 job openings.

The conversations of Dakota Midday on Tuesday, September 29, 2015 are woven together with an economics thread.

Workforce initiatives can't rely on the quality of jobs in South Dakota if they want to attract people from other regions. Research shows the way younger people choose careers is different than you might expect. J. Mac Holladay is the founder and CEO of Market Street Services based in Atlanta, Georgia. He explains why place may matter more than a certain kind of employment.

A state agency is launching a campaign aimed at connecting people with disabilities to employers. It’s called Ability for Hire, and leaders say it can benefit both workers and businesses.

Department of Human Services Secretary Gloria Pearson says the new Ability for Hire campaign is part of ongoing work to support South Dakotans with disabilities.

Pearson says people with disabilities are an untapped resource for businesses looking to hire quality employees – especially in an environment with low unemployment.

Hundreds of people are losing their jobs as a Sioux Falls financial call center closes. A spokesperson for Capital One says the company is shifting strategies and moving work from Sioux Falls to other places. It’s supposed to happen by the end of the year. A layoff of 750 workers is significant, but the situation offers those employees some opportunities.

Thursday Capital One leaders alerted workers that their business in Sioux Falls is shutting down. Employees are not out of a job right away. They can work for a few months before Capital One’s operations end.

"Slower Growth Ahead for Mid-America Region: Job Losses for May" is the business index headline for the latest survey of Ernie Goss, Creighton University MacAllister Chair in Economics.  Goss joined guest host Cara Hetland on Monday's Dakota Midday and said the news isn't all bad.

The governor is promoting new strategies to enhance the strength of South Dakota's workforce, but not everyone thinks the state should be active in connecting job seekers with employers. This week Governor Dennis Daugaard revealed findings from South Dakota Wins workforce summits, and he lays out a plan for the state to strengthen South Dakota’s workers and businesses.

Secretary Marcia Hultman leads the South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation. She says it’s time for the state to help businesses fill openings with skilled workers.

A change to city workers’ pension is prompting more Sioux Falls employees to retire. That means some long-held positions are open to people who want to work for the state’s largest city.  

By the end of 2014, Sioux Falls leaders expect more than 70 city employees to retire. That number is double the usual count for retirements citywide.

Human Resources Director Bill O’Toole says he attributes the unusually high retirement rate to last year’s change in the city’s pension plan. He says replacing a retiree takes training.

Yesterday during his State of the State address, Governor Dennis Daugaard told lawmakers that while South Dakota's economy is strong, additional steps need to be taken to train and attract people to fill the jobs needed to fuel continued economic growth. In his speech, the Governor said the state has low unemployment, which is making it difficult for workers to find jobs.

Doug O'Brien, Deputy Under Secretary at the United States Department of Agriculture, is meeting with Tribal leaders and economic development officials across South Dakota to discuss ways the USDA can help strengthen local economies and create jobs.  He joined Karl Gehrke Wednesday on Dakota Midday.

In the waning hours of 2012, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Vice President Joe Biden negotiated a nine-month extension of the Farm Bill that the Center for Rural Affairs has criticized heavily.  Center for Rural Affairs Executive Director Chuck Hassebrook said many smaller, targeted programs that invest in proven strategies to create rural jobs, revitalize rural communities and initiatives to foster a new generation of family farmers and ranchers were completely left out of the extension.  Hassebrook joined Dakota Midday host Karl Gehrke Monday.

A new report released Tuesday shows South Dakota’s unemployment rate is better than other states around the country, but that doesn’t mean the state is thriving during this economic recession.