Why is the unemployment rate relatively low in the Dakotas in the recession? (transplants)

[Internet nut]

I was looking at a list of state unemployment rates and saw that both South and North Dakota has relatively low unemployment in comparison to other states. While I understand there is some unemployment and the rate is higher than a year ago, it appears that your part of the country is not suffering nearly as bad as the west coast or the sunbelt.

Why is this true:

Lack of factories
Homogeneous Population
Lack of transplants
Better State Government

Unemployment rates - Unemployment rates by state from CNNMoney

[GraniteStater]

1) Low corporate tax rate.
2) Good levels of entrepreneurship
3) Huge exodus of younger residents to bigger metros leading to spot labor shortages.
4) A rapidly aging population which generally allows for more job openings.

[Jammie]

Yup, what Granite said.

Both of the Dakotas and Wyoming have stayed relatively low, but we're feeling the pinch. Our state unemployment rate is 3.9% right now and that's up from about 3%. It was only 2.3% in Sx. Falls a few months ago. Of course, the smaller towns would have a higher unemployment rate.

Diverse~I mean that in the fact that we have a lot of different jobs/occupations. And we do have factories here, but one of the things several have chosen to do is to drop their employees to 32 hrs. per week rather then laying some people off. It helps the employee still have their job and keep their health insurance, etc. Cheers to the fact that many of our employers have compassion for their employees

Along with the good business climate that Granite listed, we have the rep for having a good work ethic~the Midwestern work ethic. I honestly don't know how true it is, but often when someone leaves here, employers seem to love the fact that we generally show up for work, we're on time, we work when we're on the job, etc. It seems to be an added plus that perspective companies look at when moving to our state.

Lack of unions~we're a right to work state and there are very few unions here. Of course, the meatpacking plant has one, Homestake used to have one, the teachers have one, etc., but they're far and few between. It makes for a good business climate because we don't DEMAND high wages and it hopefully keeps more companies in business. (just an observation, not a debate)

Our states aren't considered to be desireable like some of the southern/western states are. Of course, anyone who has vacationed in the Black Hills or at Yellowstone loves it here, but our climate is a deterrent so people don't flock here.

I'd guess there are several more reasons, but those are the ones that just popped into my mind.

[SDHomesteader]

And don't forget that we don't have 6 billion people living in a 5 square mile area like New York and some other big cities do. With such fewer people up here, the jobs go around alot more. In New York and West Coast cities and such you have sooo many people all competing for the same jobs which seem to get fewer and fewer every year.

Another thing I have noticed in them bigger cities is that the older generation (the people that should be retired now) that thought social security was going to be their lifeline in retirement have discovered it isn't all it was cracked up to be and now have to go back to work, thus competing with the younger generation for what jobs are left out there.