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Alaska Jobless Rate 5.8% In November

Decemmber 17, 1999
No. 00-22

Alaska's statewide unemployment rate increased four-tenths of a percentage point in November to 5.8%. The 5.8% rate meant that nearly 18,200 Alaskans were unemployed during November, an increase of nearly 1,000 from October. In November of 1998, nearly 17,400 Alaskans were unemployed and the statewide unemployment rate was 5.5%. The comparable national unemployment rate (civilian not seasonally adjusted) in November was 3.8%. John Boucher, a labor economist with the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, reported the increase.

Barring a dramatic increase in unemployment in December, the annual average unemployment rate for 1999 will be about 6.5%. If 1999's rate falls below 6.7%, it would be the second-lowest annual rate in the last 20 years, but it would be an increase from 1998's record setting rate of 5.9%. "Alaska's job market has been relatively strong in 1999," Boucher said. "The layoffs in Alaska's oil patch and related industries are the main reason Alaska's labor market experienced higher unemployment in 1999 compared to 1998."

An increasing unemployment rate in November was expected. "Other economic indicators such as the level of unemployment claims and the wage and salary job count corroborate the monthly trend in unemployment," Boucher said. During the last 20 years the unemployment rate has averaged a four-tenths of a percentage point increase in November. The highest regional unemployment rate was recorded in the Wade Hampton Census area at 13.3%, the lowest was in the Sitka Borough at 3.9%.

November's wage and salary employment statistics showed a broad seasonal downturn, as the economy lost 7,700 jobs. Nearly every major industry lost ground as winter job losses mounted. Job gains were limited to the segments of retail trade that added staff for the holiday shopping season. Compared to last November, the economy registered a gain of 2,400 jobs. Over-the-year job gains were in services, retail trade, transportation, construction and financial sectors. Job losses were posted in the mining, (primarily oil and gas) and manufacturing (primarily seafood processing) industries.

Labor Force by Region and Census Area

Labor Force

Unemployment

Rate

Employment

11/99 10/99 11/98 11/99 10/99 11/98 11/99 10/99 11/98 11/99 10/99 11/98
Alaska Statewide 314,456 316,708 313,667 18,194 17,219 17,393 5.8 5.4 5.5 296,262 299,489 296,274
Anch./Mat-Su Region 175,297 174,180 172,934 7,945 7,767 7,223 4.5 4.5 4.2 167,352 166,413 165,711
Municipality of Anchorage 144,250 142,692 143,848 5,881 5,780 5,359 4.1 4.1 3.7 138,369 136,912 138,489
Mat-Su Borough 31,047 31,488 29,086 2,064 1,987 1,864 6.6 6.3 6.4 28,983 29,501 27,222
Gulf Coast Region 31,701 33,023 32,098 3,516 2,914 3,239 11.1 8.8 10.1 28,185 30,109 28,859
Kenai Peninsula Borough 19,891 21,020 20,112 2,196 2,118 1,994 11.0 10.1 9.9 17,695 18,902 18,118
Kodiak Island Borough 6,943 6,843 7,074 830 313 815 12.0 4.6 11.5 6,113 6,530 6,259
Valdez-Cordova 4,867 5,159 4,912 489 483 430 10.0 9.4 8.8 4,378 4,676 4,482
Interior Region 48,432 48,571 48,532 2,852 2,709 3,032 5.9 5.6 6.2 45,580 45,862 45,500
Denali Borough 1,243 1,233 1,225 132 115 116 10.6 9.3 9.5 1,111 1,118 1,109
Fairbanks North Star Borough 42,765 42,960 42,906 2,227 2,171 2,439 5.2 5.1 5.7 40,538 40,789 40,467
Southeast Fairbanks 2,436 2,418 2,406 259 227 233 10.6 9.4 9.7 2,177 2,191 2,173
Yukon-Koyukuk 1,988 1,960 1,994 235 196 244 11.8 10.0 12.2 1,753 1,764 1,750
Northern Region 8,315 8,263 8,931 763 754 692 9.2 9.1 7.7 7,552 7,509 8,239
Nome 3,098 3,072 3,368 275 265 288 8.9 8.6 8.6 2,823 2,807 3,080
North Slope Borough 3,196 3,182 3,396 242 244 173 7.6 7.7 5.1 2,954 2,938 3,223
Northwest Arctic Borough 2,021 2,010 2,167 246 245 231 12.2 12.2 10.7 1,775 1,765 1,936
Southeast Region 38,084 39,084 38,200 2,122 2,078 2,269 5.6 5.3 5.9 35,962 37,006 35,931
Haines Borough 1,159 1,159 1,120 132 102 94 11.4 8.8 8.4 1,027 1,057 1,026
Juneau Borough 16,428 16,964 16,570 720 800 875 4.4 4.7 5.3 15,708 16,164 15,695
Ketchikan Gateway Borough 7,167 7,324 7,179 462 425 480 6.4 5.8 6.7 6,705 6,899 6,699
Pr. of Wales-Outer Ketchikan 3,151 3,204 3,113 264 233 229 8.4 7.3 7.4 2,887 2,971 2,884
Sitka Borough 4,280 4,431 4,297 168 200 189 3.9 4.5 4.4 4,112 4,231 4,108
Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon 2,149 2,181 2,153 121 94 127 5.6 4.3 5.9 2,028 2,087 2,026
Wrangell-Petersburg 3,442 3,510 3,449 237 212 247 6.9 6.0 7.2 3,205 3,298 3,202
Yakutat Borough 308 312 317 18 13 27 5.8 4.2 8.5 290 299 290
Southwest Region 12,626 13,587 12,970 996 998 937 7.9 7.3 7.2 11,630 12,589 12,033
Aleutians East Borough 1,379 1,490 1,410 62 64 47 4.5 4.3 3.3 1,317 1,426 1,363
Aleutians West 1,993 2,119 2,033 123 94 98 6.2 4.4 4.8 1,870 2,025 1,935
Bethel 5,039 5,475 5,232 394 447 426 7.8 8.2 8.1 4,645 5,028 4,806
Bristol Bay Borough 525 554 539 52 41 49 9.9 7.4 9.1 473 513 490
Dillingham 1,463 1,568 1,480 115 109 85 7.9 7.0 5.7 1,348 1,459 1,395
Lake & Peninsula Bor. 492 530 521 20 20 33 4.1 3.8 6.3 472 510 488
Wade Hampton 1,735 1,851 1,756 231 223 199 13.3 12.0 11.3 1,504 1,628 1,557

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.

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