August’s job count was up 4.4% from August 2020, an increase of 13,600 but still 29,700 below August 2019 levels. Industries hardest hit last year recorded the strongest gains, although few have recovered from their pre-pandemic job levels, according to the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
Leisure and hospitality added 5,600 jobs compared to last August but remained 10,800 below August 2019. The trade, transportation and utilities sector gained 3,600 jobs over the year but was 6,700 below 2019. Oil and gas remains one of the few major sectors with lower employment than it had in 2020. At 6,800 total jobs, oil and gas was still 400 below last August and 3,300 under August 2019. Oil and gas employment appeared to bottom out late last year around 6,100.
The common denominator appears to be that businesses are struggling to fill positions, something a job fair was designed to do earlier this week in the parking lot of the Kenai Chamber of Commerce and Visitor’s Center. Brittany Brown, Chamber President told KSRM Tuesday that hardly any showed up:
“We’re not seeing as many as we had really hoped, but this is really just an opportunity for us to provide for our local community, our local businesses, to come out and advertise for their businesses. Right now, we’re seeing all the businesses are having issues getting employees and that’s where this event stemmed from. It was going to be a hit or miss on whether we were going to have people showing up to talk to the businesses, but really, there’s nothing to lose for these businesses to come here. It’s just really tough right now.”
Local government’s job count was down 300 from last August and down 1,600 from August 2019. State government employment was 200 below last year and 900 under 2019. Federal employment was down 1,000 from last August, likely due to last year’s temporary hires for the 2020 Census, but up 500 from 2019.
The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 6.4% in August. The comparable U.S. rate was 5.2%.
