JUNEAU, Alaska— Alaska’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 6.5 percent in December, essentially unchanged from November’s 6.4 percent. The comparable national rate was 5.0 percent.
Alaska’s seasonally adjusted rate showed no clear trend in 2015, consistent with other economic indicators that suggest last year’s economy was relatively flat.
The not-seasonally adjusted rate was 6.6 percent in December, up from November’s 6.4 percent. December was the first month in 2015 that the unadjusted rate was higher than the same month in the previous year.
Around the state, jobless rates were flat or rose from November to December in 27 out of 29 boroughs and census areas, which is typical for the time of year. The largest increase was in the Denali Borough, where the rate climbed 2.2 percentage points, followed by the Haines Borough and Aleutians West Census Area, where rates climbed 2.0 percentage points. The highest rate was in Skagway at 22.6 percent, followed by Kusilvak Census Area at 20.6 percent.
The Juneau and North Slope boroughs were tied for the lowest rate in December, at 4.7 percent. The rate in Anchorage was also low at 4.9 percent.
For detailed employment estimates, see Live Labor Stats. The estimates are preliminary and subject to potentially large revisions.[xyz-ihs snippet=”Adsense-responsive”]
