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June Employment Down 0.5 Percent From Last Year; Unemployment Rate At 7.1 Percent

Jul. 20, 2018
No. 18-31

JUNEAU, Alaska — Preliminary estimates for June show a decline of 1,700 jobs from June 2017, a loss of 0.5 percent. The biggest losses were in retail (-1,000) and state government (-600). Oil and gas and professional and business services were both down 400 jobs.

Construction jobs were up by 400. Recent projects, particularly in the Interior Region, have boosted construction employment after nearly four years of losses. Other sectors with over-the-year job growth included health care (800); manufacturing (400); transportation, warehousing, and utilities (200) and leisure and hospitality (200).

State government employment was down 600 and local government 300. Federal employment grew by 100.

Alaska's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate declined slightly for the second month in a row. June's rate of 7.1 percent was down a tenth of a percentage point from May and two tenths from April.

The comparable national unemployment rate was 4.0 percent, up from 3.8 percent in May.

Not-seasonally adjusted unemployment rates fell over the month in many parts of the state, following the expected seasonal pattern as summer employment ramped up. Rates were under 4 percent in boroughs and census areas that are especially dependent on fishing or tourism, including Bristol Bay, Aleutians West and East, Skagway, and Denali.

The highest rates were in rural areas, with Kusilvak Census Area highest at 22.7 percent. Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Nome Census Area, Northwest Arctic Borough, and Bethel Census Area's rates were all in the teens.

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