North Dakota’s job market still booming

BY WAYDE SICK

It’s safe to say that North Dakota’s unemployment rate has been envy of the nation for the past several years. Led by the state’s robust energy industry, North Dakota enjoyed unrivaled prosperity and the lowest unemployment rate in the country while the rest of the nation suffered through the Great Recession. Even with the drop in oil prices, North Dakota still boasts more than 25,000 available jobs and an unemployment rate of 3.1 percent.

For a long time there has been a misconception that the only jobs available are oil jobs out in the Bakken. Now that oil prices have dropped, media outlets are reporting that North Dakota’s energy industry has gone bust, the job market has dried up and workers are being laid off by the thousands. However, the jobs and economic data available tell a different story.

While the oil industry jump-started the state’s economic renaissance, North Dakota’s economy and job market have diversified. Tens of thousands of new residents have moved to North Dakota in the past few years because of the opportunities available to job seekers and entrepreneurs. That impressive population growth has led to more retail offerings, entertainment and restaurants, higher demand for health care providers, new businesses and schools, and a construction boom across the state, which also means more workers are needed. Instead of a bust, North Dakota businesses have more than 25,000 available jobs in industries like health care, IT, manufacturing, construction, sales and management and many others.

Although people perceive that most jobs in North Dakota are in the Bakken, data from Job Service North Dakota shows that Fargo and Bismarck continue to lead the state, with the most available jobs in Cass and Burleigh counties, respectively. With 25,000 available jobs, job seekers are not confined to one part of the state or another. They have the option of living in a rural community or one of North Dakota’s rapidly expanding cities.

North Dakota’s job market is still the envy of the nation. In spite of the slowdown in oil production, data shows the economy is booming in every sector and every corner of the state. Whether people are looking for a new job or a family-friendly place to live, North Dakota has more than 25,000 opportunities for job seekers to find the good life. PB

Wayde Sick Director, Workforce Division North Dakota Department of Commerce wsick@nd.gov

Twitter: @ExperienceND