Alaska Unemployment Continues Long Decline

Sep. 14, 2000
No. 01-14

August Unemployment for selected areas - graph Alaska's unemployment rate fell to 4.3% in August. This is the sixth straight month of declines in the jobless rate. August's rate is also the second lowest since 1978. These unemployment figures continue to attest to a tight job market in Alaska-not unlike most of the rest of the nation. The comparable national rate (civilian not seasonally adjusted) was 4.1% in August. John Boucher, a labor economist with the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, reported August's data.

August's 4.3% statewide rate meant that just over 14,200 Alaskans were jobless, about 1,300 fewer than in July and approximately 1,000 fewer than in August of 1999. Only in 1998 was the number of unemployed for the month of August smaller-by approximately 400.

Nearly every region and area in the state enjoyed lower jobless rates in August. With seasonal industries such as fishing, tourism, and construction at or near peak activity in August, it was not surprising that nearly every region and area in the state enjoyed lower jobless rates. Most areas also recorded lower jobless levels than a year-ago. Some exceptions were noted. In Southeast Alaska, the Yakutat Borough and Prince of Wales-Outer Ketchikan had higher unemployment this August compared to August 1999. Bristol Bay and Lake and Peninsula Boroughs' unemployment rates also came in higher than year-ago levels.

While unemployment was below average in most areas of the state, there are places in rural Alaska that are still experiencing unemployment rates above ten percent. These include Nome, Northwest Arctic Borough and Wade Hampton, which recorded the highest unemployment rate in August at 15.9%.

Wage and salary employment was nearly unchanged from July. Most industries gained jobs in August but losses in seafood processing were large enough to cause total employment to fall slightly. This is not unusual for August, since seafood processing employment typically peaks in July, coinciding with the salmon harvest in western Alaska. Over-the-year growth in wage and salary employment was strongest in Fairbanks, Anchorage and the Northern region. A rebound in oil industry activity is giving the Northern region an employment boost.

Labor Force By Region and Census Area

	Labor Force			Unemployment			Rate			Employment
	Aug-00	Jul-00	Aug-99	Aug-00	Jul-00	Aug-99	Aug-00	Jul-00	Aug-99	Aug-00	Jul-00	Aug-99
Alaska Statewide	327,792	332,242	322,323	14,244	15,507	15,271	4.3	4.7	4.7	313,548	316,735	307,052

Anchorage/Mat-Su Region	174,472	175,249	170,369	6,557	7,028	7,037	3.8	4	4.1	167,915	168,221	163,332
Municipality of Anchorage	142,200	143,366	139,215	4,875	5,174	5,140	3.4	3.6	3.7	137,325	138,192	134,075
Mat-Su Borough	32,272	31,883	31,154	1,682	1,854	1,897	5.2	5.8	6.1	30,590	30,029	29,257
Gulf Coast Region	35,995	37,428	36,361	1,785	1,951	2,247	5	5.2	6.2	34,210	35,477	34,114
Kenai Peninsula Borough	23,008	23,925	23,381	1,308	1,422	1,742	5.7	5.9	7.5	21,700	22,503	21,639
Kodiak Island Borough	7,509	7,814	7,501	256	292	268	3.4	3.7	3.6	7,253	7,522	7,233
Valdez-Cordova	5,478	5,690	5,479	221	238	237	4	4.2	4.3	5,257	5,452	5,242
Interior Region	51,195	52,245	50,354	2,210	2,529	2,310	4.3	4.8	4.6	48,985	49,716	48,044
Denali Borough	1,204	1,219	1,179	33	31	31	2.7	2.5	2.6	1,171	1,188	1,148
Fairbanks North Star Borough	45,332	46,251	44,615	1,777	2,046	1,897	3.9	4.4	4.3	43,555	44,205	42,718
Southeast Fairbanks	2,605	2,648	2,519	201	208	161	7.7	7.9	6.4	2,404	2,440	2,358
Yukon-Koyukuk	2,053	2,127	2,040	198	245	221	9.6	11.5	10.8	1,855	1,882	1,819
Northern Region	8,221	8,317	7,823	830	865	802	10.1	10.4	10.3	7,391	7,452	7,021
Nome	3,092	3,137	2,948	313	335	308	10.1	10.7	10.4	2,779	2,802	2,640
North Slope Borough	3,155	3,167	2,950	301	289	238	9.5	9.1	8.1	2,854	2,878	2,712
Northwest Arctic Borough	1,974	2,013	1,926	216	241	256	10.9	12	13.3	1,758	1,772	1,670
Southeast Region	42,188	42,674	41,664	1,670	1,810	1,761	4	4.2	4.2	40,518	40,864	39,903
Haines Borough	1,217	1,238	1,223	28	39	52	2.3	3.2	4.3	1,189	1,199	1,171
Juneau Borough	18,555	18,742	18,373	632	666	722	3.4	3.6	3.9	17,923	18,076	17,651
Ketchikan Gateway Borough	7,738	7,795	7,608	336	330	318	4.3	4.2	4.2	7,402	7,465	7,290
Pr. of Wales-Outer Ketchikan	3,500	3,553	3,419	281	307	249	8	8.6	7.3	3,219	3,246	3,170
Sitka Borough	4,734	4,783	4,690	148	158	174	3.1	3.3	3.7	4,586	4,625	4,516
Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon	2,410	2,456	2,378	85	111	88	3.5	4.5	3.7	2,325	2,345	2,290
Wrangell-Petersburg	3,699	3,757	3,646	140	168	141	3.8	4.5	3.9	3,559	3,589	3,505
Yakutat Borough	335	349	328	19	30	17	5.7	8.6	5.2	316	319	311
Southwest Region	15,721	16,330	15,753	1,193	1,325	1,114	7.6	8.1	7.1	14,528	15,005	14,639
Aleutians East Borough	1,666	1,721	1,672	27	28	20	1.6	1.6	1.2	1,639	1,693	1,652
Aleutians West	2,077	2,192	2,093	94	143	94	4.5	6.5	4.5	1,983	2,049	1,999
Bethel	6,561	6,816	6,593	545	603	531	8.3	8.8	8.1	6,016	6,213	6,062
Bristol Bay Borough	642	661	635	28	27	17	4.4	4.1	2.7	614	634	618
Dillingham	1,842	1,897	1,883	83	80	110	4.5	4.2	5.8	1,759	1,817	1,773
Lake & Peninsula Borough	629	640	623	50	42	40	7.9	6.6	6.4	579	598	583
Wade Hampton	2,304	2,403	2,255	366	401	302	15.9	16.7	13.4	1,938	2,002	1,953

Alaska Nonagricultural Wage & Salary Employment

	Preliminary	Revised		Changes from:
	Aug-00	Jul-00	Aug-00
Total Nonagricultural Employment	302,100	302,300	297,000	-200	5,100
Mining	10,100	10,000	9,200	100	900
Construction	17,800	17,200	17,400	600	400
Manufacturing	19,700	20,700	20,300	-1,000	-600
Transportation, Commun. & Utilities	29,400	29,100	28,900	300	500
Trade	62,200	62,600	61,900	-400	300
Finance, Insurance & Real Estate	13,300	13,200	13,300	100	0
Services & Misc.	78,200	78,400	76,000	-200	2,200
Government	71,400	71,100	70,000	300	1,400

Benchmark: March 1999
Source: Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Research and Analysis Section.

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