Alaska Unemployment Inches Up

Dec. 15, 2000
No. 01-26

graph of November unemployment for selected areas of Alaska Alaska's statewide unemployment rate increased three-tenths of a percentage point in November to 5.8%. The higher rate meant that more than 18,400 Alaskans were unemployed during November, an increase of about 700 from October. In November of 1999 the jobless numbers were very similar, with 18,600 Alaskans unemployed and a statewide unemployment rate of 5.9%. The comparable national unemployment rate (civilian not seasonally adjusted) in November was 3.8%. Neal Fried, a labor economist with the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, reported the increase.

A slight increase in the November unemployment rate is typical as the economy continues its seasonal decline and employment drops. Despite the rising statewide unemployment rate, several areas still enjoy low jobless rates. Unemployment rates in Fairbanks, Anchorage, Sitka, Juneau, and the Aleutians East Borough were below the statewide rate. With the exception of the Aleutians East Borough, all of these area economies are much less susceptible to seasonal swings than some rural areas in the state. Ten areas had unemployment rates in the double digits, including the Kodiak and Denali boroughs and the Wade Hampton Census Area.

In November, wage and salary employment was running 4,700 above the November 1999 level. The job gains were in the services, oil, retail, transportation and construction industries. The only sectors with fewer jobs this year were finance, seafood processing and timber.

Wage and salary employment showed a broad seasonal downturn in nearly all industries, with a loss of 8,000 jobs from October. The biggest losses came in the construction, hotel, and seafood processing industries. One of the few areas that enjoyed employment gains were segments of retail trade that added staff for the holiday season. And with the record high Permanent Fund Dividend check, Alaska's retailers should enjoy healthy holiday sales in 2000.

Labor Force By Region and Census Area
	Labor Force			Unemployment			Rate			Employment
	11/00	10/00	11/99	11/00	10/00	11/99	11/00	10/00	11/99	11/00	10/00	11/99
Alaska Statewide	316,825	319,963	314,252	18,441	17,704	18,644	5.8	5.5	5.9	298,384	302,259	295,608
Anchorage/Mat-Su Region	176,118	176,862	175,263	8,107	7,802	8,141	4.6	4.4	4.6	168,011	169,060	167,122
Municipality of Anchorage	144,666	144,829	144,793	5,905	5,760	6,030	4.1	4.0	4.2	138,761	139,069	138,763
Mat-Su Borough	31,452	32,033	30,470	2,202	2,042	2,111	7.0	6.4	6.9	29,250	29,991	28,359
Gulf Coast Region	33,200	32,559	31,904	3,243	2,859	3,605	9.8	8.8	11.3	29,957	29,700	28,299
Kenai Peninsula Borough	20,873	20,577	20,202	1,871	1,738	2,252	9.0	8.4	11.1	19,002	18,839	17,950
Kodiak Island Borough	7,290	6,975	6,851	938	678	851	12.9	9.7	12.4	6,352	6,297	6,000
Valdez-Cordova	5,037	5,007	4,851	434	443	502	8.6	8.8	10.3	4,603	4,564	4,349
Interior Region	47,776	49,743	48,710	2,794	2,804	2,924	5.8	5.6	6.0	44,982	46,939	45,786
Denali Borough	1,194	1,245	1,229	119	123	135	10.0	9.9	11.0	1,075	1,122	1,094
Fairbanks North Star Borough	42,126	43,906	42,994	2,130	2,170	2,283	5.1	4.9	5.3	39,996	41,736	40,711
Southeast Fairbanks	2,476	2,586	2,512	268	282	265	10.8	10.9	10.5	2,208	2,304	2,247
Yukon-Koyukuk	1,981	2,006	1,975	278	229	241	14.0	11.4	12.2	1,703	1,777	1,734
Northern Region	8,393	8,462	8,134	808	854	781	9.6	10.1	9.6	7,585	7,608	7,353
Nome	3,176	3,160	3,045	324	300	281	10.2	9.5	9.2	2,852	2,860	2,764
North Slope Borough	3,185	3,249	3,088	256	311	248	8.0	9.6	8.0	2,929	2,938	2,840
Northwest Arctic Borough	2,032	2,052	2,001	228	243	252	11.2	11.8	12.6	1,804	1,809	1,749
Southeast Region	38,356	38,281	37,624	2,316	2,189	2,172	6.0	5.7	5.8	36,040	36,092	35,452
Haines Borough	1,167	1,144	1,175	110	85	135	9.4	7.4	11.5	1,057	1,059	1,040
Juneau Borough	16,668	16,730	16,419	726	765	737	4.4	4.6	4.5	15,942	15,965	15,682
Ketchikan Gateway Borough	7,075	7,057	6,950	491	463	473	6.9	6.6	6.8	6,584	6,594	6,477
Pr. of Wales-Outer Ketchikan	3,151	3,149	3,086	288	282	270	9.1	9.0	8.7	2,863	2,867	2,816
Sitka Borough	4,257	4,250	4,185	178	165	172	4.2	3.9	4.1	4,079	4,085	4,013
Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon	2,275	2,266	2,158	207	195	124	9.1	8.6	5.7	2,068	2,071	2,034
Wrangell-Petersburg	3,442	3,383	3,357	277	213	243	8.0	6.3	7.2	3,165	3,170	3,114
Yakutat Borough	320	302	294	39	21	18	12.2	7.0	6.1	281	281	276
Southwest Region	12,982	14,055	12,616	1,173	1,195	1,021	9.0	8.5	8.1	11,809	12,860	11,595
Aleutians East Borough	1,396	1,507	1,371	64	56	63	4.6	3.7	4.6	1,332	1,451	1,308
Aleutians West	1,817	1,898	1,709	205	142	126	11.3	7.5	7.4	1,612	1,756	1,583
Bethel	5,315	5,839	5,205	425	514	404	8.0	8.8	7.8	4,890	5,325	4,801
Bristol Bay Borough	545	579	544	46	36	54	8.4	6.2	9.9	499	543	490
Dillingham	1,536	1,646	1,522	106	89	118	6.9	5.4	7.8	1,430	1,557	1,404
Lake & Peninsula Borough	536	569	482	66	57	20	12.3	10.0	4.1	470	512	462
Wade Hampton	1,837	2,018	1,783	261	302	236	14.2	15.0	13.2	1,576	1,716	1,547

Alaska Nonagricultural Wage & Salary Employment

	P/	R/	Changes From:
	11/00	10/00	11/99	10/00	11/99
Total Nonagricultural Employment	275,400	283,400	270,700	-8,000	4,700
Mining	9,900	10,000	9,000	-100	900
Construction	13,800	15,800	13,600	-2,000	200
Manufacturing	9,100	11,800	9,200	-2,700	-100
Transportation, Commun. & Utilities	25,800	26,900	25,500	-1,100	300
Trade	57,400	57,500	56,900	-100	500
Finance, Insurance & Real Estate	12,600	12,900	12,700	-300	-100
Services & Misc.	71,700	72,900	69,000	-1,200	2,700
Government	75,100	75,600	74,800	-500	300

Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rates

Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rates
Month	Alaska	U.S.
November 2000	6.0%	4.0%
October 2000	6.0%	3.9%
November 1999	5.9%	4.1%

*Government includes employees of public schools and the University of Alaska.
Benchmark date: March 1999

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

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last updated: 07/07/2026