Unemployment After A Job Ends
SDCL § 61-6-9 — quitting without good cause or misconduct means six weeks of new work first
A claimant registers for work, files a claim, is able and available to work, has had a waiting period of one week, and earned enough in the base period.
Quitting or misconduct. A person who quit without good cause, or was discharged for misconduct, after at least thirty calendar days on the job, is denied benefits until reemployed for at least six calendar weeks and earning the weekly benefit amount in each.
- A health hazard, certified by a licensed practitioner before leaving.
- The employer required moving to keep the job.
- The employer substantially disregarded the standards an employee has a right to expect, or breached the contract.
Those are among the reasons that count as good cause. Mere inefficiency, inability, or a good faith error in judgment is not misconduct.
A particular claim is a question for a licensed South Dakota attorney or the Department of Labor and Regulation.
Sources for this section (5)
- SDCL § 61-6-1 — Requirements for eligibility for benefits during week
- SDCL § 61-6-9 — Voluntary separation without good cause; Additional claims during benefit year; Trade readjustment payments
- SDCL § 61-6-9.1 — Good cause for voluntarily leaving employment restricted to certain situations
- SDCL § 61-6-14 — Separation for misconduct; Additional claims during benefit year
- SDCL § 61-6-14.1 — Misconduct defined
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed South Dakota attorney.