If you lost your job in South Dakota, the first thing you should do is file for unemployment, as eligibility is determined by when you apply, not by when you were laid off. If you wait, you may not collect all the benefits you’re entitled to from South Dakota unemployment.

In order to be eligible to collect unemployment in the state of South Dakota, you must:

• Have become unemployed through no fault of your own
•  Have earned sufficient wages during an established base period
•  Be able and available to work
• Be actively seeking employment

You’ll need the following to apply for South Dakota unemployment :

•  Social Security number or alien registration number, if applicable
•  Names and addresses for all your employers for the last 18 months, with the corresponding dates of employment, and the reason who left each job
• If you served in the military during the last 18 months, you will be asked for a copy of your DD214.

You may file for South Dakota unemployment insurance benefits online at www.sd.uiclaims.com 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  You may also  file for South Dakota unemployment insurance benefits by phone calling 605-626-3179, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:20 p.m. (CST).