New figures on South Dakota unemployment show a slight upturn in the jobless rate, but officials say it's not a cause for alarm, at least not yet.  South Dakota Department of Labor statistics show the state's unemployment rate grew by 0.6 percent, from 4.9 percent in December to 5.5 percent in January.

  In Rapid City, the jobless rate rose by 0.5 percent from 5.1 percent in December to 5.6 in January.  Officials at the Labor Department's Career Center say post-Christmas season numbers often show a bump in the jobless rate.  Fred Dieken with the Career Service says, "It's not abnormal for it to go up a little bit in January. So, really, it's higher than it was in years past, but as far as going up a little bit in January; that's not an anomaly."  Officials say the cold, snowy winter also contributed to higher unemployment because blizzards and blocked roads often dampen commercial activity.

Al Van Zee