Maybe it is time to recognize that raising the minimum wage is bad for young and low-wage workers: PIERRE, S.D. — Gov. Dennis Daugaard has signed a bill to lower the minimum wage for youth in South Dakota to $7.50 per hour, his office announced Friday. This is despite approval last fall by voters of…
Oil Accounts For About 20 Percent Of North Dakota's Jobs
That North Dakota is reaping major economic benefits from oil and gas development in the state is not exactly news, but sometimes it is worthwhile to take a step back and consider just how profound an impact it has been. Research scientist Dean Bangsund and Dr. Nancy Hodur, Research Assistant Professor at the NDSU Department…
North Dakota Unemployment Rate Up Slightly, State Gained 15,000 Workers In Last Year
“North Dakota 2.7% Unemployment Will Soar,” was a recent headline from 24/7 Wall Street. “No state has a lower unemployment rate than North Dakota, where it is 2.7%,” the website reported recently. “No state is at a greater risk to have its unemployment rate soar. Low oil prices get the blame.” [mks_pullquote align=”right” width=”300″ size=”24″ bg_color=”#000000″ txt_color=”#ffffff”]”…in December of…
Bette Grande: Are Artificially Low Gas Prices Worth It?
As we enter the winter months and spend time warming up our cars and traveling in the cold, we should be happy about the low gas prices, right? The mainstream media is full of stories about the lower gas prices putting money in our pockets, but is that the whole story? First, some perspective, if…
David Flynn: Three North Dakota Counties Responsible For 50 Percent Of Jobs Increase
So yesterday I looked at how the oil patch core counties (Dunn, McKenzie, Mountrail, Williams) are responsible for over 50% of the employment increase in North Dakota in the last year (posting). I thought I would look at those particular counties again and compare to the state overall. I looked at the percentage change of…
North Dakota Has Almost Three Job Openings For Every Unemployed Worker
I wrote about the State of North Dakota’s latest job openings at Watchdog.org today: BISMARCK, N.D. — The latest unemployment figures from North Dakota paint a familiar picture for citizens of the oil-rich state. A rock-bottom unemployment rate, and far more jobs than available workers, have become common themes. “The nation’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate…
North Dakota Leads The Nation In Labor Force Participation
Since 1999, the trend for the national labor force participation rate (the percentage of working-age Americans with jobs) looks like this, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Going back further, the national labor force participation rate is at a 37-year low. In September, it was at just 62.7 percent. In North Dakota, the trend is…
Despite Job Growth And Lower Unemployment Rate, Record 92.6 Million Not In Work Force
Since it’s an election year, and Democrats are desperate for good news to help them hold onto the Senate, there’s a lot of celebration going on about the jobs report today. The economy added 248,000 new jobs, and the unemployment rate dropped to 5.9 percent. But here’s the thing: We still have a problem with…
James Kerian: North Dakota Showcases The Power Of Competition
North Dakota’s elected officials like to take credit for our state’s booming economy. Their challengers like to point out that no incumbent every put oil in the ground. Some of North Dakota’s policy makers say that if other states did things our way the country would be in much better shape economically. Others retort that…
David Flynn: North Dakota Continues Stellar Labor Market Growth
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released data on employment and unemployment from the Current Employment Statistics survey. North Dakota was number one in the country with a 4.4% increase in total nonfarm employment from year ago levels. That is 12 consecutive months where the year-over-year percent change was at or above 3%, and something…