Alaska Economic Trends For March 2002 Looks At Alaska's Labor Force Over The Next 15 Years

Mar. 4, 2002
No. 02-16

By the year 2015 there may be more jobs in Alaska than Alaskans to fill them, according to an article appearing in the March 2002 issue of Alaska Economic Trends.

"Alaska's Labor Force" written by Department of Labor and Workforce Development's chief of research and analysis, Chris Miller, reviews how Alaska's labor force became what it is today and takes a look at what might happen in the future.

"The age distribution of Alaska's population is the result of what's happened over the past thirty years," Miller said. "It was the baby boom that moved to Alaska in the 70s resulting in significant net in-migration. They came to work on the trans-Alaska pipeline and economic boom that followed through the mid-80s. In the mid-90s, however, military base closures in Alaska and a strong Lower '48 economy caused a net out-migration."

Miller says this has resulted in baby boomers being Alaska's dominant generation in the labor force. "As the baby boom reaches retirement age, the next generation is not of sufficient numbers to replace them," Miller said.

The Alaska March 2002 Economic Trends is available online.

###