Skip to content Back to Top

Statewide Jobless Rate 5.4% In October

November 19, 1999
No. 00-19

Alaska's statewide unemployment rate increased nearly a full percentage point from 4.5% in September to 5.4% in October. John Boucher, a labor economist with the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, reported the increase. More than 17,200 Alaskans were unemployed in October, a significant, but not unexpected, increase from September, when about 14,300 were unemployed. In October, 1998, the unemployment rate was 5.3% and the number of jobless Alaskans was near 16,900. The comparable national unemployment rate (civilian not seasonally adjusted) in October was 3.8%.

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 usually 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 4.4% in September to 9.3% 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 3.0% in September to 8.8% in October as seafood processing and tourism-related activity slowed. The lowest unemployment rate in the state was in the Lake and Peninsula Borough at 3.8% and the state's highest unemployment rate was 12.2% in the Northwest Arctic Borough.

Alaska's wage and salary job count began a broad, steep seasonal decline in October. Over-the-month job losses totaled 11,100. With the exceptions of government and mining, all of the state's major industries lost ground in October. The seafood processing industry, followed by tourism-related job losses at hotels and eating and drinking establishments, led October's job loss. The construction industry's job count also dwindled as road-building activity slowed due to 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

10/99 9/99 10/98 10/99 9/99 10/98 10/99 9/99 10/98 10/99 9/99 10/98
Alaska Statewide 316,715 318,375 317,156 17,226 14,334 16,902 5.4 4.5 5.3 299,489 304,041 300,254
Anch./Mat-Su Region 173,981 171,010 172,732 7,767 6,639 7,251 4.5 3.9 4.2 166,214 164,371 165,481
Municipality of Anchorage 142,961 140,217 142,864 5,782 4,921 5,439 4.0 3.5 3.8 137,179 135,296 137,425
Mat-Su Borough 31,020 30,793 29,868 1,985 1,718 1,812 6.4 5.6 6.1 29,035 29,075 28,056
Gulf Coast Region 33,034 35,183 33,325 2,915 2,286 2,828 8.8 6.5 8.5 30,119 32,897 30,497
Kenai Peninsula Borough 21,028 22,409 21,208 2,119 1,756 2,062 10.1 7.8 9.7 18,909 20,653 19,146
Kodiak Island Borough 6,845 7,396 6,976 313 261 362 4.6 3.5 5.2 6,532 7,135 6,614
Valdez-Cordova 5,161 5,378 5,141 483 269 404 9.4 5.0 7.9 4,678 5,109 4,737
Interior Region 48,594 48,970 48,915 2,710 2,129 2,878 5.6 4.3 5.9 45,884 46,841 46,037
Denali Borough 1,234 1,194 1,245 115 52 123 9.3 4.4 9.9 1,119 1,142 1,122
Fairbanks North Star Bor. 42,980 43,377 43,267 2,171 1,717 2,322 5.1 4.0 5.4 40,809 41,660 40,945
Southeast Fairbanks 2,420 2,397 2,437 228 160 238 9.4 6.7 9.8 2,192 2,237 2,199
Yukon-Koyukuk 1,961 2,002 1,966 196 200 195 10.0 10.0 9.9 1,765 1,802 1,771
Northern Region 8,251 8,065 8,972 754 726 684 9.1 9.0 7.6 7,497 7,339 8,288
Nome 3,067 2,983 3,363 265 240 265 8.6 8.0 7.9 2,802 2,743 3,098
North Slope Borough 3,177 3,111 3,438 244 240 196 7.7 7.7 5.7 2,933 2,871 3,242
Northwest Arctic Borough 2,007 1,971 2,171 245 246 223 12.2 12.5 10.3 1,762 1,725 1,948
Southeast Region 39,219 41,015 39,374 2,081 1,646 2,315 5.3 4.0 5.9 37,138 39,369 37,059
Haines Borough 1,163 1,159 1,153 102 35 95 8.8 3.0 8.2 1,061 1,124 1,058
Juneau Borough 17,023 17,886 17,104 801 689 916 4.7 3.9 5.4 16,222 17,197 16,188
Ketchikan Gateway Bor. 7,350 7,680 7,418 426 340 509 5.8 4.4 6.9 6,924 7,340 6,909
Pr. of Wales-Outer Ktch. 3,214 3,353 3,227 233 193 252 7.2 5.8 7.8 2,981 3,160 2,975
Sitka Borough 4,448 4,653 4,420 201 151 183 4.5 3.2 4.1 4,247 4,502 4,237
Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon 2,188 2,280 2,189 94 60 99 4.3 2.6 4.5 2,094 2,220 2,090
Wrangell-Petersburg 3,522 3,666 3,541 212 157 238 6.0 4.3 6.7 3,310 3,509 3,303
Yakutat Borough 313 339 321 13 21 22 4.2 6.2 6.9 300 318 299
Southwest Region 13,636 14,132 13,838 999 907 946 7.3 6.4 6.8 12,637 13,225 12,892
Aleutians East Borough 1,495 1,521 1,497 64 23 37 4.3 1.5 2.5 1,431 1,498 1,460
Aleutians West 2,126 2,202 2,160 94 75 87 4.4 3.4 4.0 2,032 2,127 2,073
Bethel 5,495 5,740 5,601 448 458 452 8.2 8.0 8.1 5,047 5,282 5,149
Bristol Bay Borough 555 557 568 41 19 43 7.4 3.4 7.6 514 538 525
Dillingham 1,574 1,622 1,607 109 89 113 6.9 5.5 7.0 1,465 1,533 1,494
Lake & Peninsula Bor. 532 553 545 20 17 22 3.8 3.1 4.0 512 536 523
Wade Hampton 1,858 1,937 1,859 223 226 191 12.0 11.7 10.3 1,635 1,711 1,668

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.

Return to Index

###