Alaska’s August jobs count was up 3.1% from August 2021, which was an increase of 10,200. The Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development reports that year-over-year growth has been consistently in the 2-to-3% range thus far this year, although total employment remains well below pre-pandemic levels.
Nearly all sectors were up over the year. The only two exceptions were state government, which was 600 less, and information, which was 100 less. Leisure and hospitality recorded the strongest growth with 3,800 more jobs than in August 2021.
Oil and gas employment was up 400 from last August, and at 7,200 total jobs was about 1,000 above the pandemic low point of late 2020. Before the coronavirus pandemic, the State of Alaska had around 10,000 oil and gas jobs.
Some Alaskan job sectors that have completely recovered include construction, health care, federal government, and local government. Leisure and hospitality and oil and gas are the two major sectors with the most ground still left to regain, which was 3,800 lower and 2,900 lower from August 2019 levels respectively.
The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.5% in August. The comparable U.S. rate was 3.7%. In the Gulf Coast Region, the Kenai Peninsula Borough tabulated an unemployment rate of 3.8%, which is down from 4.6% in July, and down from 5.5% from last August.
Regional employment change in the Gulf Coast Region, compared to August 2021 saw increases of 1,100 jobs, according to the Labor and Workforce Development’s Research and Analysis Section.