Alaska Jobless Rate 5.8% In November
Decemmber 17, 1999
No. 00-22
Alaska's statewide unemployment rate increased four-tenths of a percentage point in November to 5.8%. The 5.8% rate meant that nearly 18,200 Alaskans were unemployed during November, an increase of nearly 1,000 from October. In November of 1998, nearly 17,400 Alaskans were unemployed and the statewide unemployment rate was 5.5%. The comparable national unemployment rate (civilian not seasonally adjusted) in November was 3.8%. John Boucher, a labor economist with the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, reported the increase.
Barring a dramatic increase in unemployment in December, the annual average unemployment rate for 1999 will be about 6.5%. If 1999's rate falls below 6.7%, it would be the second-lowest annual rate in the last 20 years, but it would be an increase from 1998's record setting rate of 5.9%. "Alaska's job market has been relatively strong in 1999," Boucher said. "The layoffs in Alaska's oil patch and related industries are the main reason Alaska's labor market experienced higher unemployment in 1999 compared to 1998."
An increasing unemployment rate in November was expected. "Other economic indicators such as the level of unemployment claims and the wage and salary job count corroborate the monthly trend in unemployment," Boucher said. During the last 20 years the unemployment rate has averaged a four-tenths of a percentage point increase in November. The highest regional unemployment rate was recorded in the Wade Hampton Census area at 13.3%, the lowest was in the Sitka Borough at 3.9%.
November's wage and salary employment statistics showed a broad seasonal downturn, as the economy lost 7,700 jobs. Nearly every major industry lost ground as winter job losses mounted. Job gains were limited to the segments of retail trade that added staff for the holiday shopping season. Compared to last November, the economy registered a gain of 2,400 jobs. Over-the-year job gains were in services, retail trade, transportation, construction and financial sectors. Job losses were posted in the mining, (primarily oil and gas) and manufacturing (primarily seafood processing) industries.
Labor Force by Region and Census Area
Labor Force |
Unemployment |
Rate |
Employment |
|||||||||
11/99 | 10/99 | 11/98 | 11/99 | 10/99 | 11/98 | 11/99 | 10/99 | 11/98 | 11/99 | 10/99 | 11/98 | |
Alaska Statewide | 314,456 | 316,708 | 313,667 | 18,194 | 17,219 | 17,393 | 5.8 | 5.4 | 5.5 | 296,262 | 299,489 | 296,274 |
Anch./Mat-Su Region | 175,297 | 174,180 | 172,934 | 7,945 | 7,767 | 7,223 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 167,352 | 166,413 | 165,711 |
Municipality of Anchorage | 144,250 | 142,692 | 143,848 | 5,881 | 5,780 | 5,359 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 138,369 | 136,912 | 138,489 |
Mat-Su Borough | 31,047 | 31,488 | 29,086 | 2,064 | 1,987 | 1,864 | 6.6 | 6.3 | 6.4 | 28,983 | 29,501 | 27,222 |
Gulf Coast Region | 31,701 | 33,023 | 32,098 | 3,516 | 2,914 | 3,239 | 11.1 | 8.8 | 10.1 | 28,185 | 30,109 | 28,859 |
Kenai Peninsula Borough | 19,891 | 21,020 | 20,112 | 2,196 | 2,118 | 1,994 | 11.0 | 10.1 | 9.9 | 17,695 | 18,902 | 18,118 |
Kodiak Island Borough | 6,943 | 6,843 | 7,074 | 830 | 313 | 815 | 12.0 | 4.6 | 11.5 | 6,113 | 6,530 | 6,259 |
Valdez-Cordova | 4,867 | 5,159 | 4,912 | 489 | 483 | 430 | 10.0 | 9.4 | 8.8 | 4,378 | 4,676 | 4,482 |
Interior Region | 48,432 | 48,571 | 48,532 | 2,852 | 2,709 | 3,032 | 5.9 | 5.6 | 6.2 | 45,580 | 45,862 | 45,500 |
Denali Borough | 1,243 | 1,233 | 1,225 | 132 | 115 | 116 | 10.6 | 9.3 | 9.5 | 1,111 | 1,118 | 1,109 |
Fairbanks North Star Borough | 42,765 | 42,960 | 42,906 | 2,227 | 2,171 | 2,439 | 5.2 | 5.1 | 5.7 | 40,538 | 40,789 | 40,467 |
Southeast Fairbanks | 2,436 | 2,418 | 2,406 | 259 | 227 | 233 | 10.6 | 9.4 | 9.7 | 2,177 | 2,191 | 2,173 |
Yukon-Koyukuk | 1,988 | 1,960 | 1,994 | 235 | 196 | 244 | 11.8 | 10.0 | 12.2 | 1,753 | 1,764 | 1,750 |
Northern Region | 8,315 | 8,263 | 8,931 | 763 | 754 | 692 | 9.2 | 9.1 | 7.7 | 7,552 | 7,509 | 8,239 |
Nome | 3,098 | 3,072 | 3,368 | 275 | 265 | 288 | 8.9 | 8.6 | 8.6 | 2,823 | 2,807 | 3,080 |
North Slope Borough | 3,196 | 3,182 | 3,396 | 242 | 244 | 173 | 7.6 | 7.7 | 5.1 | 2,954 | 2,938 | 3,223 |
Northwest Arctic Borough | 2,021 | 2,010 | 2,167 | 246 | 245 | 231 | 12.2 | 12.2 | 10.7 | 1,775 | 1,765 | 1,936 |
Southeast Region | 38,084 | 39,084 | 38,200 | 2,122 | 2,078 | 2,269 | 5.6 | 5.3 | 5.9 | 35,962 | 37,006 | 35,931 |
Haines Borough | 1,159 | 1,159 | 1,120 | 132 | 102 | 94 | 11.4 | 8.8 | 8.4 | 1,027 | 1,057 | 1,026 |
Juneau Borough | 16,428 | 16,964 | 16,570 | 720 | 800 | 875 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 5.3 | 15,708 | 16,164 | 15,695 |
Ketchikan Gateway Borough | 7,167 | 7,324 | 7,179 | 462 | 425 | 480 | 6.4 | 5.8 | 6.7 | 6,705 | 6,899 | 6,699 |
Pr. of Wales-Outer Ketchikan | 3,151 | 3,204 | 3,113 | 264 | 233 | 229 | 8.4 | 7.3 | 7.4 | 2,887 | 2,971 | 2,884 |
Sitka Borough | 4,280 | 4,431 | 4,297 | 168 | 200 | 189 | 3.9 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4,112 | 4,231 | 4,108 |
Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon | 2,149 | 2,181 | 2,153 | 121 | 94 | 127 | 5.6 | 4.3 | 5.9 | 2,028 | 2,087 | 2,026 |
Wrangell-Petersburg | 3,442 | 3,510 | 3,449 | 237 | 212 | 247 | 6.9 | 6.0 | 7.2 | 3,205 | 3,298 | 3,202 |
Yakutat Borough | 308 | 312 | 317 | 18 | 13 | 27 | 5.8 | 4.2 | 8.5 | 290 | 299 | 290 |
Southwest Region | 12,626 | 13,587 | 12,970 | 996 | 998 | 937 | 7.9 | 7.3 | 7.2 | 11,630 | 12,589 | 12,033 |
Aleutians East Borough | 1,379 | 1,490 | 1,410 | 62 | 64 | 47 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 3.3 | 1,317 | 1,426 | 1,363 |
Aleutians West | 1,993 | 2,119 | 2,033 | 123 | 94 | 98 | 6.2 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 1,870 | 2,025 | 1,935 |
Bethel | 5,039 | 5,475 | 5,232 | 394 | 447 | 426 | 7.8 | 8.2 | 8.1 | 4,645 | 5,028 | 4,806 |
Bristol Bay Borough | 525 | 554 | 539 | 52 | 41 | 49 | 9.9 | 7.4 | 9.1 | 473 | 513 | 490 |
Dillingham | 1,463 | 1,568 | 1,480 | 115 | 109 | 85 | 7.9 | 7.0 | 5.7 | 1,348 | 1,459 | 1,395 |
Lake & Peninsula Bor. | 492 | 530 | 521 | 20 | 20 | 33 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 6.3 | 472 | 510 | 488 |
Wade Hampton | 1,735 | 1,851 | 1,756 | 231 | 223 | 199 | 13.3 | 12.0 | 11.3 | 1,504 | 1,628 | 1,557 |
Benchmark: March 1998
P/ denotes preliminary estimates
R/ denotes revised estimates
Comparisons between different time periods are not as meaningful as other time series produced by Research & Analysis.
The official definition of unemployment currently in place excludes anyone who has not made an active attempt to find work in the four-week period up to and including the week that includes the 12th of the reference month. Due to the scarcity of employment opportunities in rural Alaskan locations, many individuals do not meet the official definition of unemployed because they have not conducted an active job search. These individuals are considered not in the labor force.
Source: Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Research and Analysis Section.
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