|
| December 2003 |
Natural Resources
- Mining and Timber |
 |
Alaska’s economy has always relied upon its
rich natural resources. From the days of the Treadwell mine and
the later Klondike gold rush to the development of the Prudhoe Bay
oil fields, many Alaskans have earned their living by extracting
Alaska’s mineral wealth. Many others have been employed cutting
timber and harvesting seafood.
December 2003 Trends
|
| |
|
| November 2003 |
Construction |
 |
Construction activity is often regarded as an economic
bellwether. Its performance is a billboard for consumer confidence—particularly
the residential and commercial building sector. Changes in the level
of construction activity often signal a change in the economic climate
of an area, state or nation. Because of this, the industry’s
performance often serves as a barometer of future economic wellbeing.
November 2003 Trends |
| |
|
| October 2003 |
The Global Salmon
Industry |
 |
On September 5, 2000, the Marine Stewardship Council
certified Alaska’s statewide commercial salmon fisheries program
as well managed and sustainable. Alaska’s was the only salmon
fishery in the world to meet the council’s rigorous environmental
standards and earn this distinction. Yet even as Alaska’s preeminence
in biological management was being recognized, Alaska’s salmon
fishermen had fallen on hard times.
October
2003 Trends |
| |
|
| September 2003 |
The Oil Industry |
 |
Oil has played central roles in Alaska’s economy
and psyche since 1957, when the Kenai fields were discovered. The
economic implications of this find were important in the statehood
movement and Alaska’s admission to the Union. In 1968, the discovery
of the massive Prudhoe Bay field ushered in a new era of prosperity
for Alaska. The jobs directly created by the oil industry have never
been great in number, but they remain some of the most sought after
in the state’s labor market.
September
2003 Trends |
| |
|
| August 2003 |
The Trends 100 |
 |
For the second year in a row, Providence Health
System Alaska topped the list of Alaska’s 100 largest private
employers. Its workforce numbered 3,417 in 2002. The Medical Center
in Anchorage has the lion’s share of Providence’s employment,
but the company has also grown by acquiring and partnering with
other health care facilities in Anchorage and elsewhere in the state.
August 2003 Trends |
| |
|
| July 2003 |
Seasonality |
 |
Alaska’s economy is highly seasonal, compared
to states in more southern latitudes. In the cold of winter, industries
such as construction, seafood processing, and tourism shift into lower
gear. Yet, to answer questions such as: ”What portion of Alaska’s
economy is seasonal?” and ”Which occupations are seasonal?”
is no simple task.
July 2003 Trends |
| |
|
| June 2003 |
Youth Employment |
 |
Youth enter the workforce with limited skills and little
previous employment experience. The experience and skills young workers
develop on their first jobs can prepare them for a successful, long-term
career. This article examines the numbers, occupations, employers,
place of work, and wages of Alaska’s working youth. Also discussed
are how to go about looking for work and some of the qualities Alaska’s
employers seek.
June 2003 Trends
|
| |
|
| May 2003 |
Occupational Forecast
|
 |
Change is a fact of life, and a vital factor in the economy. With
advances in technology, shifts in demographics, and improvements in
business practices, the mix of occupations that make up the economy
is constantly evolving, and so too must the training and skills of
Alaska’s workforce.
May 2003
Trends |
| |
|
| April 2003 |
Alaska's Health Care Industry |
|
The health services industry is the fastest growing, and one of the
larger sectors of Alaska’s economy. It’s a billion-dollar
industry, and it employs about 22,000 people. It would be hard to
find an industry in Alaska with a growth pattern as strong and sustained
as that of health care.
April 2003
Trends |
| |
|
| March 2003 |
Unemployment Insurance
Claimants |
 |
At the low point of the Great Depression in 1935, the United States
adopted a number of policies designed to alleviate economic distress
in the country. Among them was Unemployment Insurance (UI), instituted
to mitigate the hardships of temporary unemployment and to introduce
a degree of economic stabilization...
March
2003 Trends |
| |
|
| February 2003 |
Sitka |
 |
Sitka is located on the outer coast of Baranof Island in central
Southeast Alaska. Home to the Kiksadi clan of Tlingits, it was “discovered”
by the Vitus Bering expedition of 1741. In 1799, Alexander Baranof
built a Russian-American Company...
February 2003 Trends
|
| |
|
| January 2003 |
The Matanuska-Susitna
Borough |
 |
The Matanuska-Susitina Borough has received a lot of attention in
this past ten years for its rapid growth. In reality, it grew at an
even faster rate during the prior three decades. During the most recent
period, no other area of the state came close to the borough’s
track record of population and employment growth.
January
2003 Trends |
