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Alaska Unemployment Edges Upward

Nov. 17, 2000
No. 01-23

Graph - Alaska Unemployment for selected areas in OctoberAlaska's statewide unemployment rate increased nearly one-half of one percentage point from 5.0% in September to 5.5% in October. More than 17,700 Alaskans were unemployed in October, an increase of nearly 1,700 from September. In October, 1999, the unemployment rate was 5.7% and the number of jobless Alaskans was near 17,900. The comparable national unemployment rate (civilian not seasonally adjusted) in October was 3.6%. John Boucher, a labor economist with the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, reported the increase.

The unemployment rate in most areas of the state moved in concert with the statewide unemployment rate, but rural Alaska generally experienced larger increases. "Rural Alaska tends to rely on seasonal industries such as fishing and tourism for employment opportunities," Boucher said. "When summer ends, it generally means higher unemployment rates in rural Alaska."

The most dramatic changes in unemployment rates in October were in boroughs where the visitor and/or fishing industries play key roles. "The Denali Borough's unemployment rate increased from 4.6% in September to 9.9% in October, as visitor activity around Denali National Park shut down for the winter," Boucher said. In the Haines Borough the unemployment rate more than doubled, increasing from 3.1% in September to 7.4% in October as seafood processing and tourism-related activity slowed. The lowest unemployment rate in the state was in the Aleutians East Borough at 3.7%, and the state's highest unemployment rate was 14.8% in the Wade Hampton Census Area.

Alaska's wage and salary job count began a broad, steep, seasonal decline in October. Over-the-month job losses totaled 11,700. With the exception of government and the finance sector, all of the state's major industries lost ground in October. The seafood processing industry led October's job loss, followed by tourism-related jobs at hotels, eating and drinking establishments, and transportation firms. The construction industry's job count dwindled as road-building activity slowed with the onset of colder weather. Government's employment numbers increased slightly because the public education sector continued staffing up for the school year.


Labor Force By Region and Census Area

Labor Force

Unemployment

Rate

Employment

10/00 9/00 10/99 10/00 9/00 10/99 10/00 9/00 10/99 10/00 9/00 10/99
Alaska Statewide 319,965 321,961 315,305 17,706 16,027 17,878 5.5 5.0 5.7 302,259 305,934 297,427
Anchorage/Mat-Su Region 176,531 173,661 173,001 7,800 7,118 8,063 4.4 4.1 4.7 168,731 166,543 164,938
Municipality of Anchorage 144,889 142,342 142,302 5,760 5,324 6,003 4.0 3.7 4.2 139,129 137,018 136,299
Mat-Su Borough 31,642 31,319 30,699 2,040 1,794 2,060 6.4 5.7 6.7 29,602 29,525 28,639

Labor Force

Unemployment

Rate

Employment

Gulf Coast Region 32,530 34,330 32,817 2,860 2,711 3,024 8.8 7.9 9.2 29,670 31,619 29,793
Kenai Peninsula Borough 20,558 21,322 21,096 1,738 1,266 2,198 8.5 5.9 10.4 18,820 20,056 18,898
Kodiak Island Borough 6,969 7,920 6,642 678 1,216 325 9.7 15.4 4.9 6,291 6,704 6,317
Valdez-Cordova 5,003 5,088 5,079 444 229 501 8.9 4.5 9.9 4,559 4,859 4,578

Labor Force

Unemployment

Rate

Employment

Interior Region 49,766 50,192 49,329 2,804 2,302 2,819 5.6 4.6 5.7 46,962 47,890 46,510
Denali Borough 1,245 1,200 1,232 123 55 120 9.9 4.6 9.7 1,122 1,145 1,112
Fairbanks North Star Borough 43,926 44,420 43,613 2,170 1,839 2,259 4.9 4.1 5.2 41,756 42,581 41,354
Southeast Fairbanks 2,587 2,571 2,519 282 220 236 10.9 8.6 9.4 2,305 2,351 2,283
Yukon-Koyukuk 2,007 2,001 1,965 229 188 204 11.4 9.4 10.4 1,778 1,813 1,761

Labor Force

Unemployment

Rate

Employment

Northern Region 8,531 8,359 8,058 855 900 781 10.0 10.8 9.7 7,676 7,459 7,277
Nome 3,187 3,123 3,011 301 319 275 9.4 10.2 9.1 2,886 2,804 2,736
North Slope Borough 3,275 3,235 3,063 311 354 253 9.5 10.9 8.3 2,964 2,881 2,810
Northwest Arctic Borough 2,070 2,000 1,984 244 226 253 11.8 11.3 12.8 1,826 1,774 1,731

Labor Force

Unemployment

Rate

Employment

Southeast Region 38,382 40,676 38,404 2,191 1,791 2,156 5.7 4.4 5.6 36,191 38,885 36,248
Haines Borough 1,147 1,177 1,169 85 36 106 7.4 3.1 9.1 1,062 1,141 1,063
Juneau Borough 16,775 17,881 16,864 766 680 830 4.6 3.8 4.9 16,009 17,201 16,034
Ketchikan Gateway Borough 7,075 7,470 7,063 463 366 441 6.5 4.9 6.2 6,612 7,104 6,622
Pr. of Wales-Outer Ketchikan 3,157 3,337 3,120 282 248 241 8.9 7.4 7.7 2,875 3,089 2,879
Sitka Borough 4,261 4,547 4,311 165 146 208 3.9 3.2 4.8 4,096 4,401 4,103
Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon 2,272 2,347 2,177 195 116 97 8.6 4.9 4.5 2,077 2,231 2,080
Wrangell-Petersburg 3,393 3,597 3,404 214 182 220 6.3 5.1 6.5 3,179 3,415 3,184
Yakutat Borough 303 321 296 21 18 13 6.9 5.6 4.4 282 303 283

Labor Force

Unemployment

Rate

Employment

Southwest Region 14,224 14,742 13,697 1,196 1,205 1,036 8.4 8.2 7.6 13,028 13,537 12,661
Aleutians East Borough 1,526 1,591 1,495 56 64 67 3.7 4.0 4.5 1,470 1,527 1,428
Aleutians West 1,921 1,948 1,827 142 100 98 7.4 5.1 5.4 1,779 1,848 1,729
Bethel 5,908 6,161 5,707 514 556 464 8.7 9.0 8.1 5,394 5,605 5,243
Bristol Bay Borough 586 599 577 36 27 42 6.1 4.5 7.3 550 572 535
Dillingham 1,667 1,732 1,646 89 93 113 5.3 5.4 6.9 1,578 1,639 1,533
Lake & Peninsula Borough 576 590 525 57 51 21 9.9 8.6 4.0 519 539 504
Wade Hampton 2,040 2,118 1,920 302 312 231 14.8 14.7 12.0 1,738 1,806 1,689

 


Alaska Nonagricultural Wage & Salary Employment

P/

R/

CHANGES FROM:

10/00 9/00 10/99 9/00 10/99
Total Nonagricultural Employment 283,300 295,000 279,000 -11,700 4,300
Mining 10,100 10,200 9,400 -100 700
Construction 15,800 17,000 15,500 -1,200 300
Manufacturing 11,800 15,400 12,300 -3,600 -500
Transportation, Commun. & Utilities 27,000 28,600 26,500 -1,600 500
Trade 57,400 60,400 57,000 -3,000 400
Finance, Insurance & Real Estate 12,900 12,800 13,000 100 -100
Services & Misc. 72,700 76,000 70,300 -3,300 2,400
Government 75,600 74,600 75,000 1,000 600

 


Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rates

October 2000 Alaska 6.0% U.S. 3.9%
Sept. 2000 Alaska 6.3% U.S. 3.9%
October 1999 Alaska 5.7% U.S. 4.1%

 


*Government includes employees of public schools and the University of Alaska.
Benchmark date: March 1999

Source: Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Research and Analysis Section.

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