Oct. 11--Uncertain economic times are causing more South Dakotans to seek additional part-time employment, according to an official from the state Department of Labor, and in Mitchell there are plenty of opportunities.

According to Jean Anderson of the state Department of Labor, there are 330 part-time jobs open in the city, a trend that bucks predictions earlier this year that a raise in minimum wage would instead decrease opportunities for part-time work.

Anderson this week estimated Davison County's unemployment rate at 3.3 percent, about half of the national unemployment rate of 6.1 percent.

Davison County's unemployment rate is good news, Anderson said, but it leaves a demand for employees, including part-time workers willing to work nights and weekends. That is where older residents in search of additional income could play a major role in the region.

At one of the DOL's job fairs held in September, Anderson said she noticed an increase in the number of people 35 and older seeking employment.

"They were either coming out of retirement ... or had a full-time job and said they would like a part-time job," she said. "It was a little different."

Anderson said she hasn't seen any shifting employment trends directly related to the state's minimum wage increase in July, which saw the wage go from $5.85 to $6.55. Many predicted at the time that the increase would prompt a corresponding decrease in job openings as small companies cut positions to make ends meet.

One thing that happened in the interim, however, was an increase in the number of open part-time jobs. In September, The Daily Republic reported 250 openings.

With so many part-time positions available in the Mitchell area, job-seekers have options and Anderson expects many of those openings to be pursued by workers who find themselves in need of some extra income to supplement increasing energy and food prices.

Anderson estimated 50 percent of attendees at a recent job fair "had been out of the labor market for some time," leaving employers with a wider pool of potential applicants to choose from. That's especially important as the holiday season approaches, although it has yet to be determined how much seasonal employment will be available, Anderson said.

"We don't know what to expect this time around because of the economy the way it is," she said.

For two Mitchell businesses, though, the search for employees has been less than challenging.

As she prepared to reopen Ben Franklin at a new location in downtown Mitchell in September, owner Janice Christensen attended a Mitchell job fair. She promptly found four part-time employees and filled the remaining positions through word-of-mouth.

Christensen said she was unsure of how long it would take to fill the positions and was "pleasantly surprised" at how quickly she fully staffed her business.

"I guess you're always apprehensive," Christensen said. "It all worked out well."

While Christensen said she's unsure if additional employees will be necessary to handle the upcoming holiday season, Bruce Haines said there's always a need for employees in both of the town's McDonald's restaurants.