Among the milk and honey Governor Rounds says flowed from his 2010 Initiative are job gains in South Dakota. Some folks say government can't create jobs, but I'll let Governor Rounds sort that out with his fellow Republicans. Let's just look at the numbers.
If I'm generous and look at the statewide seasonal numbers from the state Department of Labor, I find that from October 2002 to October 2010, South Dakota added 18,220 jobs, an increase of 4.5%. Over the same period, the size of our workforce increased by 24,480, a 5.8% rise.
But those job gains were not shared by every area of the state. 32 counties gained jobs. 33 counties lost jobs (Clark County broke even.) Minnehaha County led the pack, adding 5655 jobs. That's almost a third of the state's growth. Lincoln County added another 4780 jobs (a state-leading 29.7% job boom). The Sioux Falls metroplex, two counties, thus accounted for over 57% of the job growth of the last eight years.
The biggest losers by raw number? Meade County lost 570 jobs over the last eight years. Turner County lost 550. My home county of Lake lost 395. McCook lost 345. Hmm... all counties within commuting distance of a big metro county.
The full data is below. The data follow a pattern similar to the population growth numbers we discussed here back in March: South Dakota is growing, but the growth is happening mostly in a few urban centers at the expense of rural communities.
If I were the governor of the state trying to create jobs, I might try to spread that employment growth a little more broadly.
| South Dakota Labor Stats, 2002-2010 | ||||
| Area | Jobs Gained | Job Gain % | Workers Gained | Worker Gain % |
| Statewide | 17470 | 4.3% | 24315 | 5.8% |
| Statewide Seasonal | 18220 | 4.5% | 24480 | 5.8% |
| Aberdeen MiSA | 1080 | 5.0% | 1215 | 5.5% |
| Brookings MiSA | 1495 | 8.8% | 1735 | 10.0% |
| Dewey-Ziebach LMA | 45 | 1.4% | 160 | 4.6% |
| Huron MiSA | 600 | 6.8% | 630 | 7.0% |
| Mitchell MiSA | 265 | 2.1% | 405 | 3.2% |
| Pierre MiSA | 820 | 7.2% | 930 | 8.0% |
| Rapid City MSA | 2220 | 3.6% | 3415 | 5.4% |
| Sioux Falls MSA | 9540 | 8.4% | 12115 | 10.5% |
| Spearfish MiSA | 1115 | 9.3% | 1300 | 10.5% |
| Vermillion MiSA | 470 | 6.8% | 530 | 7.4% |
| Watertown MiSA | 220 | 1.2% | 420 | 2.3% |
| Yankton MiSA | -85 | -0.8% | 75 | 0.6% |
| Counties | ||||
| Aurora | 95 | 6.6% | 120 | 8.1% |
| Beadle | 600 | 6.8% | 630 | 7.0% |
| Bennett | -35 | -2.6% | -15 | -1.1% |
| Bon Homme | -335 | -10.2% | -300 | -8.9% |
| Brookings | 1495 | 8.8% | 1735 | 10.0% |
| Brown | 1095 | 5.6% | 1225 | 6.1% |
| Brule | -15 | -0.5% | 15 | 0.5% |
| Buffalo | -50 | -10.1% | -20 | -3.7% |
| Butte | 310 | 6.3% | 385 | 7.6% |
| Campbell | -85 | -9.2% | -90 | -9.4% |
| Charles Mix | -200 | -4.7% | -135 | -3.1% |
| Clark | 0 | 0.0% | -20 | -1.1% |
| Clay | 470 | 6.8% | 530 | 7.4% |
| Codington | 205 | 1.4% | 370 | 2.4% |
| Corson | -10 | -0.7% | 10 | 0.7% |
| Custer | 390 | 8.9% | 460 | 10.2% |
| Davison | 140 | 1.3% | 270 | 2.5% |
| Day | -245 | -8.3% | -200 | -6.6% |
| Deuel | -20 | -0.8% | 25 | 1.0% |
| Dewey | 30 | 1.2% | 155 | 6.1% |
| Douglas | 75 | 4.5% | 90 | 5.2% |
| Edmunds | -15 | -0.7% | -15 | -0.7% |
| Fall River | 70 | 2.0% | 125 | 3.4% |
| Faulk | -30 | -2.6% | -25 | -2.1% |
| Grant | -85 | -2.0% | -25 | -0.6% |
| Gregory | -125 | -5.1% | -110 | -4.3% |
| Haakon | -90 | -7.3% | -85 | -6.8% |
| Hamlin | 15 | 0.5% | 50 | 1.8% |
| Hand | -55 | -2.9% | -60 | -3.0% |
| Hanson | 130 | 7.4% | 135 | 7.5% |
| Harding | 45 | 5.9% | 55 | 7.1% |
| Hughes | 725 | 7.6% | 800 | 8.2% |
| Hutchinson | -25 | -0.7% | 0 | 0.0% |
| Hyde | -35 | -4.5% | -30 | -3.8% |
| Jackson | -5 | -0.4% | 25 | 2.1% |
| Jerauld | 200 | 16.5% | 205 | 16.5% |
| Jones | -40 | -5.4% | -40 | -5.3% |
| Kingsbury | -185 | -6.1% | -140 | -4.5% |
| Lake | -395 | -5.9% | -255 | -3.7% |
| Lawrence | 1115 | 9.3% | 1300 | 10.5% |
| Lincoln | 4780 | 29.7% | 5265 | 32.0% |
| Lyman | -40 | -2.0% | 0 | 0.0% |
| Marshall | 130 | 6.8% | 155 | 7.9% |
| McCook | -345 | -11.9% | -295 | -9.9% |
| McPherson | -150 | -11.9% | -140 | -10.8% |
| Meade | -570 | -4.6% | -370 | -2.9% |
| Mellette | -20 | -2.2% | -5 | -0.5% |
| Miner | 50 | 4.4% | 70 | 5.9% |
| Minnehaha | 5655 | 6.3% | 7650 | 8.4% |
| Moody | 5 | 0.1% | 110 | 2.9% |
| Pennington | 2790 | 5.6% | 3785 | 7.5% |
| Perkins | -170 | -9.8% | -155 | -8.7% |
| Potter | -65 | -4.7% | -55 | -3.9% |
| Roberts | 335 | 7.5% | 405 | 8.7% |
| Sanborn | -185 | -12.2% | -170 | -10.9% |
| Shannon | -100 | -2.8% | 125 | 3.3% |
| Spink | 160 | 4.9% | 170 | 5.1% |
| Stanley | 95 | 5.3% | 120 | 6.5% |
| Sully | 45 | 4.6% | 55 | 5.6% |
| Todd | 245 | 7.6% | 350 | 10.3% |
| Tripp | -200 | -6.4% | -210 | -6.5% |
| Turner | -550 | -12.1% | -505 | -10.8% |
| Union | 505 | 7.1% | 645 | 8.8% |
| Walworth | 10 | 0.4% | 55 | 2.0% |
| Yankton | -85 | -0.8% | 75 | 0.6% |
| Ziebach | 15 | 1.8% | 0 | 0.0% |
p.s.: Yesterday Dakota War College urged us liberals to do more fact-checking. Dakota War College then ran a post parroting the state press release in praise of the 2010 Initiative. DWC, I say with all due respect: I check more facts before breakfast than you check all week. Pass the raisin bran.
This story about immigrants might be related, Cory.
ReplyDeleteFunny how Madville Times readers know this is going on in Lake County, but if you believed the spin that the MDL too often prints for the LAIC you would think we had made job gains. The housing market reflects residents leaving too. If it wasn't for the college, which someone told me is up to 3,100 students, boy oh boy. Can they sustain this high enrollment? We're too dependent on DSU and to a lesser extent now Gehl. At least we have a thriving downtown!
ReplyDeleteHow is it one guy routinely shares better information with us than our own newspaper? Does he still have a tip jar?
I can't help but notice that during the eight years these figures cover, the eight years of the Rounds administration, the number of jobs in Hughes County has increased by 725 for a 7.6% increase. Why would a county of maybe 15,000 have added that many jobs? What major industry moved to town? Or maybe some existing industry expanded? What could it be, what could it be?
ReplyDeleteSurely the wealth in the more populous cities and Pierre will trickle down or out to the rest of the state. Or are our bureaucrats looking at the rest of SD like the view of TV... a vast wasteland?
ReplyDeleteDespite what many people think of Jon Hunter, he has prospered in running the Madison Daily Leader. The newspaper and print shop are thriving when others have not. He provides needed jobs and has invested heavily in the future. I worked for Jon and Merrill Hunter for 18 years. I know Jon's faults and his strengths from the inside. He decided to believe in Madison while others have gone away.
ReplyDeleteJohn Goeman, one of the proponents of the "Four for 34" Highway 34 widening project pointed out that of those communities and counties who saw job gains, the majority of them have four-lane highways allowing easier and safer transportation of goods and services. The key to economic growth is commerce access to Interstate Highways and rail service. We have rail service, but four lanes on Highway 34 would allow more trucks all along the Lake-Moody section of 34 and would better-protect drivers of all ages.
ReplyDeleteInteresting observation, Rod! Now I wonder: Do those towns get big because they have four-laners, or do they have four-laners because they have gotten big?
ReplyDeleteMB: So does providing jobs excuse not fulfilling journalistic integrity and the role of a newspaper? Print facts or better to give a favorable pass? I've been to city commission meetings where what said was not the much more favorable quote printed by MDL. On only but the fewest occasions have they been critical or presented factual information contrary to anything LAIC or the decisions made by the city that benefit those already a part of our little power structure. Jon's a "team player" (like you are). Almost all of your posts say we elected them, we can trust them, they know what's best for us. Our community would benefit from the truth much more than "Everything is Wonderful Here." Why are there no cars on main street? Why are there empty store fronts? Why have we lost so many jobs when we have an economic development corporation paid by taxpayers for that mission? Oh I forgot, Madison's a perfect little town and peons shouldn't question.
ReplyDeleteJournalistic integrity is in the eye of the beholder. We are very lucky to have a local radio station and daily newspaper in Madison.
ReplyDeleteWe have to accept the fact that Madison is in a state of decline just like most small towns across the state. Farms are getting bigger every year. Our population base is dwindling. Our shoppers go to Sioux Falls. A new four lane road is not going to stop the exodus. We need more higher paying employers in town to turn things around.
The LAIC is out there trying. If it were not for their efforts, things might be far worse in Lake County. I am not saying that they are doing everything perfectly.
We need more Jon Hunters in Madison: people that are willing to go out and invest in their businesses. While other print shops are closing, Leader Printer is GAINING customers. Jon has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in equipment upgrades. The business owners that will be around in the future are the ones that spend money wisely.
Towns prosper from job growth, but even before this recession we weren't scoring. It has to be whatever it takes, and right now I have no confidence the LAIC knows how to do it, or is even focused on it. Why would people want to live in a town that accepts decline? What a pitiful statement I hope is not an LAIC talking point. If this town waits too long to demand a reverse course it will be inevitable, but to accept that when a few miles away Brookings thrives simply defies logic. Tired of excuses. How long do people keep accepting this nonsense.
ReplyDeleteWe do not have to accept the present state. We can go out there and make our community a better place. We can go out and start our own businesses. We can invest in our schools. We can keep up our houses. Change does not have to be bad.
ReplyDelete