JUNEAU, Alaska—Alaska’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 6.7 percent in July, unchanged from the previous month. The comparable national rate was 4.9 percent, also unchanged.
July’s unadjusted rate was 6.1 percent, down from June’s 6.7 percent. This six-tenths of a percentage point drop is typical of Alaska’s summer pattern.
Kusilvak Census Area had the highest rate in July, at 23.3 percent. The lowest rates were also in the Southwest Region, where Aleutians East Borough, Bristol Bay Borough and Aleutians West Census Area were at 2.1, 2.2 and 2.5 percent, respectively.
Parts of the region have very low unemployment rates during the summer because of heavy fishing and seafood processing activity. The more northern parts, such as the Kusilvak and Bethel census areas, don’t get the same economic boost and have high unemployment rates year-round.
Alaska’s job count was down 1.3 percent in July, compared to July 2015. The biggest private-sector losses were in oil and gas, construction, and professional and business services. State government’s job count was also down. Health care was the only industry that grew substantially, while other sectors were mostly flat compared to last July.
For detailed employment estimates, see https://live.laborstats.alaska.gov/ces/. The estimates are preliminary and subject to potentially large revisions. For more information on unemployment rates around the state, see https://live.laborstats.alaska.gov/labforce/.
[xyz-ihs snippet=”Adsense-responsive”]
