Alaska’s employment picture continues to look better than the nation’s, with key Alaska industries continuing to show strength in March jobless numbers released by the Alaska Department of Labor.
That includes oil and gas jobs, recently a source of controversy in legislative debate over the state’s ACES oil tax law.
Alaska’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for March was 7.4 percent, remaining below the nation’s rate of 8.8 percent, with both edging slowly downward.
“The Alaska and U.S. rates for March both came in below year-ago levels, and both have been trending downward for many months,” said Neal Fried, state labor economist.
Alaska has added more than 8,000 jobs over the last year. Not all of those went to Alaskans, but the number of unemployed residents fell by several thousand during the year.
Employment in the oil and gas industry remained steady at 12,900 from February to March, and was up 700 jobs from a year ago.
The number of industry jobs has been the subject of legislative hearings, as Gov. Parnell and industry advocates of oil tax cuts have said employment is down due to the adoption of ACES in 2007.
The state’s employment data, however, shows employment up since the adoption of ACES, a trend March’s data continues.
Sen. Dennis Egan, D-Juneau, chairman of the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee, has said the committee will continue to look into the discrepancy.
Alaska’s North Slope Borough tends to have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the state, though heavily fishing- or tourist- oriented communities occasionally displace it as the best place in the state to find a job.
In March the lowest unemployment rate in the state was the Aleutians West Census Area at 3.9 percent, followed by the North Slope Borough’s 4.4 percent.
Soon, tourist, construction and other seasonal industry hiring will bring the entire state’s unemployment rate down, Fried said.
“By April or May unemployment rates will probably begin to fall as the busy summer season begins, he said.
Juneau’s March unemployment rate was 5.9 percent, same as February, but down from last March’s 6.6 percent.
Other Southeast rates were higher, with Sitka at 6.6 percent, Ketchikan at 8.8 percent, Wrangell at 10.1 percent, Haines at 11.2 percent, Petersburg at 12.6 percent, Yakutat at 13.4 percent, and Skagway at 23 percent. Hoonah-Angoon at 24.8 percent, was highest in the state.
The regional numbers are not seasonally adjusted.
• Contact reporter Pat Forgey at 586-4816 or at patrick.forgey@juneauempire.com.
Comments (10)
Add commenttired
I'm so sick and tired of these ridiculous stories about unemployment rates and what percentage they've gone up or down. The simple fact of the matter is that, at least locally, either there are more unemployed people then there are available jobs or employers are being particular in the extreme about who they hire.
wfischer - you forgot
the third option - that there are people who CHOOSE to be unemployed - who work only in summer or winter, and collect unemployment in the "off" season so they can play. I've known many ski bums who only worked summers and collected unemployment in the winter. I'm sure there are summer versions of this as well.
Parnell the liar
"The sky is falling, squak! Tax breaks, squak! My buddies said.., squak! Lower taxes, squak! Choke the unions, not the chicken, squak!"
Sadly, the "current facts" do not bear out the overall truth.
Unemployment is not 8.8, that is the adjusted number based on current unemployed. The real numbers are the ones which bring into consideration those who in the past have lost their employment and have since stopped trying to find work. This number exceeds 17 percent unemployed. The current administration (as usual) are hiding the damaging numbers to maintain "civility" within our society. If their willing accomplices in the media would do some due diligence in reporting they would be telling the truth behind an administration bent on the destruction of what they cal our "former" capitalist system.
I can not imagin an administration which could place into effect a more hostile attack on hard working men and women throughout this once great nation. There can be no doubt left but for the most ignorant that the efforts directed at our financial infrastructure is indeed deliberate and forceful. If you are a Democrat, you must realize by now your party is not the Democrat party of years past. They are an ant-American ilk that aspire to undermine our nations strength and allow its take over by other (more worthy) empires like China.
I encourage you (welcome you) to join those who would stop them. We are on the precipice of destruction, one final push and you will suffer the hardship these parasites of evil intent are working tirelessly to place upon you, your children and your grandchildren. After this next election he will finish the job he has started, nothing will stop him.
All I am asking of you at this point is think, ...meditate on what I am saying. Look at what and how it is being done and allow the facts show you the truth. Come, vote with us to restore our nation and save it from what is without any doubt a self destructive ideologue bent on America's fall.
@mpshake: I think you
@mpshake: I think you shouldn't combine uppers and downers.
skewered
Depending on what side you're on, its easy to take any figures you want to grab and twist and skew away. You take random facts and figures and extrapolate to make a predictable presumptive prediction.
Recall Parnell!!!
Just another example of the continual dishonesty of Big Oil and their puppet Parnell....
third option?
swimmergirl, I wasn't aware there WAS a third option. Everyone I know who is currently unemployed is looking for work on a daily basis and having no luck.
wfischer
A lot of people work for part of the year, are laid off, and collect unemployment while they're in layoff status. Fish and Wildlife techs and firefighters for the state, some biologists and environmental scientists/technician, etc.
I'm not sure why they're allowed to do this when people who are going to school can't collect unemployment, but whatever. Good for them, I guess.
Hogwash
No jobs? I got a decent, full time job just six days after moving here in early February from Anchorage. I got a SECOND job this week. I'm lovin life here in Juneau!
Granted, finding a job can be a challenge but a lot depends on persistence. Don't give up!