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Worker shortage in South Dakota could raise wages but deter economic growth
Businesses across South Dakota are struggling to find employees as the pool of available workers has fallen since the COVID-19 pandemic. While the labor shortage could force employers to raise wages and benefits, it could also slow the state's economic growth and upend the opportunity for a post-pandemic surge in the state economy.
Inventory way down, prices way up in booming used car market in South Dakota
Poll Part 3: South Dakotans support ballot initiative process and oppose lawmaker interference
Economists: Eliminating sales tax on food would aid low-income families in South Dakota
Experts urge youth vaccinations, but COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is strong in South Dakota

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  1. Worker shortage in South Dakota could raise wages but deter economic growth
    Businesses across South Dakota are struggling to find employees as the pool of available workers has fallen since the COVID-19 pandemic. While the labor shortage could force employers to raise wages and benefits, it could also slow the state's economic growth and upend the opportunity for a post-pandemic surge in the state economy.
  2. Inventory way down, prices way up in booming used car market in South Dakota
    A slowdown in production of new cars during the COVID-19 pandemic has put great pressure on the used car market, leading to low used car inventories and skyrocketing prices. Meanwhile, heightened demand for cars among consumers, many flush with pandemic relief money or tax return funds, has led to a hot used car market rarely if ever seen in South Dakota.
  3. South Dakota News Watch and SDSU launch new investigative journalism internship
    South Dakota State University student journalist Andrew Rasmussen, a native of Brookings, has been selected as the inaugural recipient of the "Jeffrey B. Nelson Investigative Journalism Endowed Internship," a new internship launched by South Dakota News Watch and SDSU. The program will provide Rasmussen with real-world experience as a full-time journalist for News Watch over summer 2021.
  4. Economists: Eliminating sales tax on food would aid low-income families in South Dakota
    Two prominent economists from South Dakota say that eliminating the state sales tax on food purchases could benefit low-income families that already struggle to meet basic needs. South Dakota is one of only three states that charges the full state sales tax on grocery purchases; meanwhile, legislative efforts to reduce or eliminate the sales tax on food have consistently failed.
  5. Experts urge youth vaccinations, but COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is strong in South Dakota
    As the vaccination rate of adults against COVID-19 has stalled in South Dakota, medical experts say more children and young adults must get vaccinated in order to reach herd immunity in the state. Getting children and young adults vaccinated will also protect them from potentially devastating long-term health effects from the coronavirus, experts say.
  6. ‘Uncertainty About the Future’ — a June 3 online panel discussion hosted by South Dakota News Watch
    Four economists from South Dakota will discuss recent findings of a statewide poll by South Dakota News Watch in which some South Dakotans reported that do not expect life to be better for future generations. This article contains a registration link to listen in and join the discussion on Thursday, June 3 at 7:30 p.m. Central.
  7. Poll Part 3: South Dakotans support ballot initiative process and oppose lawmaker interference
    According to a new poll, a wide majority of South Dakotans support their right to make laws at the ballot box through the citizen-led ballot initiative process. The poll of 500 state residents by South Dakota News Watch and the Chiesman Center for Democracy also revealed that a majority of respondents do not want the Legislature to make the process more difficult.
  8. Poll Part 2: Why some South Dakotans are pessimistic about the future
    The COVID-19 pandemic surely dampened the mood of many South Dakotans, but some economists point to long-term financial hardships and historically low wages for workers as the principal reasons that some residents expressed pessimism for the future in a recent poll conducted by South Dakota News Watch and the Chiesman Center for Democracy at the University of South Dakota.
  9. New poll reveals economic pessimism and dissatisfaction with democratic institutions
    A recent statewide poll conducted by South Dakota News Watch and the Chiesman Center for Democracy at the University of South Dakota provides a glimpse into how South Dakotans feel about the economy and democratic institutions. The poll, part of the ongoing South Dakota Matters series of polls and panel discussions hosted by News Watch, shows that some South Dakotans are pessimistic about the future and that many more are not happy with how democracy is functioning in America.
  10. Frenzied housing market putting homeownership out of reach for some South Dakotans
    Some South Dakota residents are being denied the dream of homeownership due to skyrocketing housing prices driven by a rush of out-of-state buyers with more purchasing power and low inventory of affordable homes. Meanwhile, the seller's market in South Dakota is pushing rental rates higher, further straining the ability of low- and middle-income residents to improve their living conditions or obtain the long-range benefits of home ownership.
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South Dakota News Watch is a non-partisan nonprofit organization producing in-depth coverage that sheds light on the issues and concerns of all citizens. As we undertake our fourth full year of operation, we would like to thank our supporters for their generous contributions — during the year-end matching funds campaign and at other times of the year. Because of you, South Dakota News Watch will continue to fulfill its mission of bringing important issues to light, throughout 2021 and beyond.
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