Unemployment rates rose in Alaska in June, as growing numbers of jobseekers outpaced even the state’s rapidly increasing number of summer jobs.
Alaska’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate climbed from 7.0 percent in May to 7.3 percent in June, even as the nation’s rate held steady at 8.2 percent. Both rates were down from a year ago.
The Alaska unemployment numbers were released Friday by the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development’s Research and Analysis Section.
State economist Neal Fried said the combination of more people working even while the unemployment rate was rising was “not unusual by any means.”
“The number of jobs increases, as they always do in June, but what can happen is the number of people looking for work can also go up even faster for a variety of reasons,” he said.
One of those reasons is persistently high unemployment in the Lower 48, he said.
“Most places the job market is pretty tough,” he said. “People are coming here because our job market is attractive.”
Alaska’s total civilian labor force in June was 375,395, up from both May of this year and June of last year. The number of those that were unemployed rose by smaller amounts, indicating thousands more with jobs at the same time the unemployment rate was increasing.
Fried said that because both the Alaska and the U.S. unemployment rates have been essentially unchanged for most of the year its is difficult to discern any new trends from the monthly data.
“It is too early to tell whether the June increase in Alaska’s rate indicates a new trend,” he said, but noted that both the Alaska and U.S. rates were below their level last year and that Alaska’s rate has been hovering about its 10-year average rate for several months.
Juneau’s unemployment rate rose significantly, from 4.5 percent in May to 5.2 percent in June, but remained one of the lowest rates in the state. It is also below the June 2011 rate of 5.3 percent.
The same job dynamic held true in Juneau as it did statewide, with an expanding number of job seekers, but not quite enough new jobs for all of then. Over the last year, however, the number of unemployed dipped below 1,000, to 998, as the labor force expanded.
One city in Southeast had a lower unemployment rate than Juneau, but Skagway’s 3.2 percent rate wasn’t enough to be the state’s lowest. That honor went to Bristol Bay Borough, where its fish-dependent economy was peaking and the unemployment rate was 2.2 percent.
Other Southeast cities included Sitka at 6.2 percent, Ketchikan at 6.5 percent, Haines at 7.0 percent, Wrangell at 7.7 percent, Yakutat at 8.3 percent, Petersburg at 11.1 percent, Hoonah-Angoon at 13.0 percent and Prince of Wales Island at 14.8 percent.
The highest unemployment rate in the state was the Wade Hampton Census Area at 25.6 percent.
• Contact reporter Pat Forgey at 523-2250 or at patrick.forgey@juneauempire.com.
Comments (46)
Add comment"Alaska’s total civilian
"Alaska’s total civilian labor force in June was 375,395"
Would have been interesting to see the total number of unemployed...
KP
If the statewide rate is 7.3% and the number of employed is 375,395, then some quick math suggests that the number of unemployed is about 29,561.
That of course is dependent on the definition of 'unemployed'.
In my opinion, if you're unemployed in Juneau in the summer, it's likely because you don't want to work.
Well Lat, for 2011 the
Well Lat, for 2011 the estimated population for Alaska is 722,718. That leaves 347,323 unaccounted for. Some of those are kids no doubt, but that still leaves a lot of folks unaccounted for. Just want to know how many I'm paying for. Maybe they could do like they do for the kids on Africa, where the kid sends you a letter and you get a picture. "Here is Henry. Henry is a drunk lazy bum. Henry so appreciates your tax dollars, so that he doesnt have to sober up and get a job..." Put a face to the donation sort of thing...
Yeah, I see what you mean
So is a retiree 'unemployed'? How about a stay-at-home mom? How about a trust-funder that has no need to work, but isn't claiming any unemployment benefits?
I also don't think our population of chronic inebriates shows up in the State's statistics.
Have noticed....
I also have noticed what seems to be an unusual number of out of state plates around in the last 6-8 months.
Kpawsuh and Lat - I know I've asked this before, but not sure you've answered - - - what is your answer to those who's mental health or addiction stops them from working?
Are you prepared to see those people on the street, turned away from hospitals or inebriate intake? I'm not advocating for an endless supply of those kinds of social programs, I'm just curious if you are advocating for the alternative.
don't
worry be happy...de de de de de detdada. Barry economics' 101
@Swimmer
I could be wrong, but I believe the surge in out-of-state plates has something to do with the new wave of Coast Guard men and women. Can't remember where I remember hearing about that though, but it was fairly recently someone brought that to my attention.
Well Swimmer, there is a part
Well Swimmer, there is a part of me that says by helping them we are polluting the shallow end of the pool. In any healthy population, the weak, lame etc die off. We give them programs to help them not only survive, but thrive! Probably not the best long term plan for our species.
Let me toss that hand grenade out there and then run off to my meetings...
kp is a troll...
...don't feed the trolls.
El Boorba - maybe
But I think it's a valuable part of the conversation to point out the alternatives.
It's easy for some on this board to say, essentially, 'cut every city and federal expenditure I personally don't use' - - - but quite another to think about the ramifications of that action: Federal cuts likely mean the state picks up the tab. City cuts almost always affect someone - maybe you don't have a boat, but your neighbor who gives you salmon does.
The reality of having people literally dying in the street instead of having unemployment, housing, food, and addiction programs is largely ignored. Yes, some would probably figure it out and get a job in order to survive (or turn to crime) but some wouldn't. I think all of the programs mentioned above should come with more requirements - you have to take cooking and home budget classes if you are on food stamps, you have to work a certain number of hours gardening if you are in assisted housing, you must volunteer some time and take skills or resume classes if you are on unemployment. Don't make it impossible - but make it clear that it's limited and you're expected to gain some skills that might keep you out of the program in the future. More expensive up front, maybe, but probably the only way to break the cycle without stepping over corpses in the street.
rough cut - you're master
of the negative one-liner, but you never offer anything constructive. How would YOU solve the problem?
Please don't feed the trolls.
Please don't feed the trolls. Rough Cut feeds off of negative energy, like the pink slime from Ghostbusters II. The best way to deal with him is to mostly ignore him and offer up the occasional word of encouragement, because he DID start using the big boy potty last weekend.
well said rough cut
dont forget Obama and the dems have stated "the best way to stimulate the economy is with unemployment and foodstamps" so he is not just the food stamp president by accident or circumstance, they are trying to get as many people as possible on the government entitlement program.
oh yeah
and the best way to really stimulate the economy is to reduce the tax on businesses so that they will bring business back to the USA and hire Americans. People with jobs creates a strong economy.
RoughTiki.....
Roughcut - - -
Yeah, I paid 'no' income taxes on my 1040 for years too - - - mostly because I was careful and managed my payroll taxes accordingly, which always got paid. Do you believe everything Rush tells you?
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/14/business/economy/14leonhardt.html
Don't get me wrong: I also believe that there are too many people on unemployment and disability and foodstamps. The entrance requirements and time limits need to be stronger. But I think it's irresponsible at best to believe or spread a false pretense that half of the country is just sitting on the couch eating bon bons all day. It's simply not the truth.
Tiki - did you hurt yourself stretching the truth that far?
House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer is hardly "Obama and the dems". He's just one guy.
Tiiki time
I find in your comment the statement that "the democrats have stated that the best way to stimulate the economy is with unemployment and food stamps.' You put that in quotation marks indicating that you have taken it from some published source such as a statement made by a representative of the Democratic party, a speech by such a representative or some other verifiable source. Assuming that you have such a basis for your quotation, please share it with other commentators so the we too can verify it in context.
If you cannot cite a source, perhaps it would be better to say, "In my opinion this is what the democrats say" then it would be clear that it is not a verifiable quotation, simply your opinion.
Sten Hoyer:"If you talk to
Sten Hoyer: "If you talk to economists, they will tell you there are two things that are the most stimulative that you can do -- one’s unemployment insurance, the other’s food stamps, okay?”
Nancy Pelosi: "Let me say that unemployment insurance is one of the biggest stimuluses to our economy... It creates jobs faster than almost any other initiative you can name."
"It is the biggest bang for the buck when you do food stamps and unemployment insurance. The biggest bang for the buck."
Obama appointed Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has said similar things. So has White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett.
Google it. It's readily available information.
Rough cut and Colorado 14er
Just what I was looking for, exact quotes, except there is no indication where or when these statements were made.
In the world of "academia" where I lived for many decades, we were not allowed to just toss out quotations. We had to give specifics such as "this appears in this journal, this news article and the source of the article - things like names, dates, places.
Anyone can "create" quotations, but to be verifiable, that is something that another can go to and see for themselves if what was or is quoted, is exact or not is what is required.
Thanks for the quotes, now I would like to see the exact source, time, place and context in which the quotes were supposedly made. I am asked to "Google it". No, that is not what is required. What is required is that those citing a quotation provide it, not to tell someone go hunting for it yourself. So please - exact citations would be appropriate.
Rough cut and colorado 14er
An example of what is unacceptable in the world of verifiable information:
I was told as a child that supposedly George Washington said, "I cannot tell a lie. I cut down the cherry tree."
It is a nice, quotation until one finds and reads the actual source of that quotation. One then will find it was someone's fictitious creation long after the death of our first President.
But Wally, they play that all
But Wally, they play that all day long in Safeway! In fact we hear a reprosentative Lil' George re-enacting that, complete with British accent...Are you saying it isn't true?
definition of unemployed
Latitude58 et al.,
Unemployment rates only cover the labor force, and to be counted as part of the labor force you have to be either working or actively looking for work. You can decide to remove yourself from the labor force. That means stay-at-home moms, retirees, trust funders, children, and chronic drunks are not included in the rates. It has nothing to do with whether or not you actually apply for benefits, either. It just means you're trying to get a job and you can't find one.
Ok wally, now you're looking
Ok wally, now you're looking silly. Just admit that you're wrong...
Study up on U3 and U6 unemployment numbers. By fiddling around with the math, the numbers can be massaged all day long. That's why real unemployment in America is inching close to 17 or 18%. There are tons of people not even looking anymore for work and they are not counted in the U3 number.
It's that Democrat math...
Calypso I disagree
Thanks for your opinion that "now you're looking silly. Just admit that your were wrong"
Thanks Calypso I see that you were describing yourself as well as me if that is what you think is true.
Calypso: "Now you are looking silly. Just admit that your are wrong."
Wmolson, I tried posting
Wmolson, I tried posting links and it wouldn't let me. That's why I said Google it. In the time spent you spent debating about what is "required" you could have already found it.
Speaking of which, what is with this increasingly black & white rule that if someone makes a claim or provides a quote, etc., they must always immediately provide the exact source otherwise their claim, etc. is automatically deemed null and void?
In most cases I would agree, but at the same time refusing to go look yourself is irrational.
Again, it's readily available information right at your fingertips. Easiest "hunt" ever.
Here wally - for your viewing
Here wally - for your viewing pleasure, I present Nancy Pelosi -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=q06u0n9UfW0
Now don't you dare use Obama's tricks - 'I never said that' or 'you never heard that'! It ain't gonna work...there are too many ears and eyes out there now, listening and watching everything.
Colorado 14er
When you say "Google it" then say "I tried posting it and IT wouldn't let me," Who is "It" that wouldn't let you?
In the modern world of science and the academic world, those publishing articles, opinions or whatever are expected to give the exact source of their information so that others can go back to those same sources and see if it it accurate or not. This is not anything new. It goes way back to the middle ages in the Western World of people like Aquinas and others giving the exact source of what they report as someone saying.
There is a second issue I have. That is today people are allowed on some venues to go simply by some pseudonym of "Colorado 14er," " Rough Cut,", "Latitude 58" and comment anonymously.
There are many others who actually identify who they are so that others may identify and even contact them if they wish to do so. Newspapers, I think, should allow people to comment anonymously but then there are those who stand up and say "this is who I am".
From what I understand, there was a man named Martin Luther, who posted ninety-five theses or topics on a church door that he was willing to debate. I am not, nor ever have been, nor will be one of the Lutheran belief or persuasion, but I have admired that person for many years because, from what I have read, he said something to the effect that "Here I stand." He didn't hide behind some pseudonym. He was not a coward or afraid of his convictions.
So when I see a comment by a Mike Dziuba or a Ken Dunker, or someone like that, I have much more respect for what they say even though they may disagree with me entirely.
I even notice that our newspaper articles list the author, or say that this is the opinion of the editor or Bishop Burns or some other local contributor. Whether I agree or not with them, I respect them much more than those who use only a pseudonym for identification.
hmm....Wally, I appreciate your position.
And Colorado, I think your post was ok too - in that you gave a full name, and quotes. Easy for someone to look up.
What I disagree with is this continuing cycle or poor or incorrect or downright false information people overhear on their way to the shower in the morning, or read on some anonymous blog, or hear from some radio personality who never quotes sources, and then repeat that information as if it were factual. Add to that our pension for the words "all", "most" or "majority" as in "the majority of Americans" - - with zero backup - and it's just crazy the amount of misinformation and misinformed folks that are out there (or in here, as the case may be).
There is absolutely nothing wrong with asking for clarification or pointing out a mistake.
Roughcut - I agree with you that there are some folks out there gaming the system. But I think it shows a very limited cerebral capacity to paint every last person on unemployment or disability with that brush.
Just like it's probably incorrect to assume that all loggers are uneducated, dirty, lowlife people who don't care about forest health, ignore salmon stream buffers and lie in order to cut every last tree for profit.
(by the way, it's "they're" - as in 'they are' - - not "their" as in 'it belongs to them')
rc - no kidding!! Hey 14er -
rc - no kidding!!
Hey 14er - get on board...it's a science thing to have exact quotes!! Most of us aren't smart enough to be scientists so we have to pretend!
swimmer - I think you've lost the argument? Nitpicking now?
Wmolson, by "it" I meant the
Wmolson, by "it" I meant the Empire's commenting system. I paste the link and hit "save comment" and nothing happens. Most days I have no problem. Today, I did (and notice how Calypso came in right afterwards with YouTube link - weird). That's why I instead copied and pasted the direct quotes.
I understand what you're saying about providing the information to back up a claim, etc. which is why I said in most cases I agree. But it doesn't prevent you from looking up something really simple either. In that case, you shouldn't just fold your arms and say "nope, not gonna do it, gonna wait here with my arms folded until you provide it."
Regarding your issue with pseudonyms, reasonable people choose to remain anonymous for very legitimate reasons, including their privacy. Unless they are being an outright troll and/or saying really nasty things, then it shouldn't be an issue.
If you have less respect for what I think and want to label me a coward because I desire some privacy, well, that's too bad. I think you focus on this issue way too much.
Swimmergirl, I agree with everything you said in your last post.
@ wmolson
read this article
http://news.investors.com/article/619007/201207201838/obama-pushes-food-...