Sept. 19, 2008
No. 08-71
Unemployment rate at 6.9 percent in August
Alaska’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate
rose one-tenth of a percentage point in August to
6.9 percent, according to the Alaska Department
of Labor and Workforce Development. July’s
rate was revised to 6.8 percent from the preliminary rate of 6.9 percent.
Unemployment Rates, Alaska and U.S.
January 2001 to August 2008
10%
Seasonally Adjusted
Alaska
8%
The U.S. unemployment rate rose four-tenths
of a percentage point in August to 6.1 percent
and payroll jobs fell for the eighth consecutive
month. So far in 2008, payroll employment for
the country has fallen by 605,000, an average
decline of 76,000 per month.
6%
U.S.
4%
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
Alaska Nonfarm Payroll Employment1
Preliminary Revised Revised
8/08
7/08
8/07
Total Nonfarm Employment
342,200 342,200 340,100
Natural Resources and Mining
15,400 15,300 14,400
Oil and Gas
12,800 12,800
11,700
Construction
20,500 20,200 21,100
Manufacturing
20,000 21,800 20,600
Seafood Processing
15,800 17,500 16,300
Trade, Transportation and Utilities
69,700 69,900 69,200
Retail Trade
38,400 38,800 37,800
Information
6,900
6,900
7,000
Financial Activities
15,600 15,500 15,600
Professional and Business Services 27,100 27,000 26,600
Educational 2 and Health Services
37,200 37,000 36,900
Health Care
27,000 27,000 26,900
Leisure and Hospitality
39,200 39,400 39,400
Accommodations
11,900
11,900
11,900
Food Svcs. and Drinking Places
22,000 22,100 22,000
Other Services
11,800
11,900
11,800
Government 3
78,800 77,300 77,500
Changes from
7/08
8/07
0
100
0
300
-1,800
-1,700
-200
-400
0
100
100
200
0
-200
0
-100
-100
1,500
2,100
1,000
1,100
-600
-600
-500
500
600
-100
0
500
300
100
-200
0
0
0
1,300
1
Not seasonally adjusted
Private education only
3
Government includes public schools, the University of Alaska and federally recognized tribal entities.
2
Unemployment Rates, Seasonally Adjusted
August 2008:
July 2008:
August 2007:
Alaska 6.9%
Alaska 6.8%
Alaska 6.3%
U.S. 6.1%
U.S. 5.7%
U.S. 4.7%
Sources for graph and tables: Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development,
Research and Analysis Section; and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Alaska’s estimated payroll job count in August
was 342,200, an over-the-year increase of 2,100
jobs. Although Alaska’s payroll job growth has
slowed in 2008, gains in the oil industry continued to fuel modest overall gains.
Oil and gas jobs grew by 1,100 over the year and
on the other side of the ledger, construction jobs
in August were 600 below year-ago levels and
seafood processing was down 500 over the year.
According to Dan Robinson, an economist with
the Department of Labor, the big question is how
Alaska’s economy will respond to the national
slowdown.
“Alaska’s economy continued to grow during the
last two U.S. recessions, but that doesn’t mean
the state is unaffected by national trends,” he
said.
“The main difference between the U.S. economy
and Alaska’s right now is the exaggerated effect
of oil. High oil prices have created job growth
and budget surpluses for the state, which have
helped cushion declines in the construction and
seafood processing industries, and slowdowns in
several others.”
Contact: Dan Robinson, Economist (907) 465-6036
Research and Analysis’ Web site: laborstats.alaska.gov
Alaska Statewide
193,448
153,980
39,468
367,036
41,084
28,344
6,372
6,368
194,992
155,112
39,880
369,230
55,179
2,924
45,923
3,599
2,733
40,462
27,646
6,518
6,298
186,123
148,287
37,836
356,792
1,013
439
228
346
3,125
52
2,448
269
356
2,524
1,842
330
352
10,886
8,132
2,754
21,983
2,307
94
812
427
298
252
151
250
23
1,075
479
230
366
3,267
60
2,555
272
380
2,582
1,865
341
376
10,992
8,115
2,877
22,380
1,841
77
120
859
39
173
59
514
1,986
72
735
366
237
227
138
196
15
980
420
256
304
2,706
54
2,089
244
319
2,214
1,603
299
312
9,622
7,281
2,341
19,348
Unemployment
8/08
7/08
8/07
11.2
6.8
4.6
14.7
2.1
8.7
5.6
23.4
5.0
3.9
4.4
4.3
11.3
4.9
5.9
6.8
5.7
8.5
11.6
4.5
11.0
5.6
1.8
5.2
7.8
12.9
6.1
6.5
5.0
5.5
5.6
5.3
7.0
6.0
8/08
10.5
6.3
4.7
14.8
1.4
7.8
4.9
26.4
5.1
4.1
4.2
4.4
12.4
5.1
5.8
7.5
6.1
9.2
13.3
4.7
11.9
5.8
2.1
5.4
7.6
14.8
6.3
6.6
5.4
5.9
5.6
5.2
7.2
6.1
Rate
7/08
9.7
6.0
3.8
12.8
2.2
7.7
4.1
21.1
4.4
3.1
3.9
3.8
9.9
4.5
5.4
5.4
4.0
8.6
11.6
5.5
10.0
4.9
1.8
4.5
6.8
11.7
5.5
5.8
4.6
5.0
5.2
4.9
6.2
5.4
8/07
17,175
1,199
3,064
5,979
1,755
2,117
1,118
1,943
42,863
2,241
18,235
9,299
2,127
4,808
2,431
3,356
366
10,930
3,335
4,803
2,792
52,708
2,832
44,286
3,193
2,397
38,818
26,449
6,278
6,091
182,562
145,848
36,714
345,053
8/08
18,370
1,304
3,028
5,908
2,809
2,304
1,369
1,648
42,517
2,190
18,403
9,206
2,107
4,737
2,445
3,075
354
10,549
3,133
4,696
2,720
52,911
2,763
44,648
3,304
2,196
38,502
26,479
6,031
5,992
184,000
146,997
37,003
346,850
17,166
1,214
3,023
5,839
1,731
2,062
1,372
1,925
42,697
2,228
18,059
9,221
2,149
4,832
2,421
3,427
360
10,357
3,205
4,405
2,747
52,473
2,870
43,834
3,355
2,414
38,248
26,043
6,219
5,986
176,501
141,006
35,495
337,444
Labor Force by Borough and Census Area, Not Seasonally Adjusted1
Anchorage/Mat-Su Region
Municipality of Anchorage
Matanuska-Susitna Borough
41,342
28,291
6,608
6,443
56,178
2,823
47,203
3,576
2,576
11,337
3,625
4,661
3,051
2,274
91
830
418
271
246
153
243
22
2,157
88
148
1,027
39
195
70
590
8/07
Gulf Coast Region
Kenai Peninsula Borough
Kodiak Island Borough
Valdez-Cordova Census Area
55,833
2,884
46,734
3,462
2,753
11,624
3,612
4,926
3,086
44,683
2,300
18,794
9,587
2,386
5,059
2,559
3,623
375
2,162
87
147
1,027
38
202
66
595
Employment
7/08
Interior Region
Denali Borough
Fairbanks North Star Borough
Southeast Fairbanks Census Area
Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area
11,943
3,774
5,031
3,138
44,824
2,284
19,215
9,633
2,405
4,989
2,596
3,325
377
19,007
1,291
3,143
6,698
1,770
2,235
1,431
2,439
8/07
Northern Region
Nome Census Area
North Slope Borough
Northwest Arctic Borough
45,137
2,332
19,065
9,717
2,398
5,054
2,584
3,599
388
20,527
1,392
3,176
6,935
2,848
2,499
1,439
2,238
Labor Force
7/08
Southeast Region
Haines Borough
Juneau Borough
Ketchikan Gateway Borough
Prince of Wales-Outer Ketchikan Census Area
Sitka Borough
Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon Census Area
Wrangell-Petersburg Census Area
Yakutat Borough
19,337
1,286
3,211
7,006
1,793
2,319
1,184
2,538
8/08
Southwest Region
Aleutians East Borough
Aleutians West Census Area
Bethel Census Area
Bristol Bay Borough
Dillingham Census Area
Lake and Peninsula Borough
Wade Hampton Census Area
Unemployment rates that are not seasonally adjusted should not be compared with those that are.
Note: The official definition of unemployment 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. Many individuals in rural Alaska do not meet the definition because they have not conducted an active job search due to the scarcity of employment opportunities.
1
Source: Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Research and Analysis Section; and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics