November Employment Down 0.4 Percent From Last Year; Unemployment Rate At 6.3 Percent
Dec. 21, 2018
No. 18-47
JUNEAU, Alaska-November employment was down an estimated 0.4 percent, or 1,300 jobs, from November 2017. Retail had the biggest loss at 700 jobs. Professional and business services and manufacturing each lost 500 jobs over the year and financial activities lost 300.
Health care added the largest number of jobs over the year (500). The transportation, warehousing and utilities industry added 300 and construction gained 200.
Overall, private sector job numbers were down 0.4 percent and government jobs were down by the same percentage.
Alaska's seasonally adjusted November unemployment rate was 6.3 percent, down one-tenth of a percentage point from October, and the comparable national rate was 3.7 percent.
Not-seasonally adjusted rates rose in nearly every borough and census area, following the normal fall pattern. Rates doubled in Denali and Skagway between October and November, reaching 16.3 and 19.2 percent, respectively, which was a typical increase for the two most tourism dependent areas of the state. Fishing, although winding down, continued to drive some of the lower rates, with the Aleutians East Borough at 5.1 percent and Aleutians West Census Area at 4.5 percent. Sitka (4.0 percent), Juneau (4.6 percent) and Anchorage (5.1 percent) also had lower rates than the state as a whole.
Unemployment rates fell in the North Slope Borough (6.1 percent) and Sitka (4.0 percent). Sitka had the state's lowest rate.
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