Th Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development’s June job count was up 5.6 percent from June 2020, an increase of 17,000 but still 30,600 below June 2019 levels.
Nearly all industries’ employment was higher than June of last year, with the industries hardest-hit in 2020 recording the largest gains. Leisure and hospitality was up by 4,500 jobs but still 11,300 below June 2019.
Several industries met or approached their 2019 job levels. Construction had 18,600 jobs, which was 1,200 above 2020 and even with 2019. Health care employment was up 1,100 from 2020 and also equal to 2019. Manufacturing, which is mainly seafood processing in Alaska, was 1,200 above 2020 job levels and only about 100 jobs below 2019.
Oil and gas was the only major sector with significantly fewer jobs in June than a year ago. Alaska had 6,200 oil and gas jobs — about 900 below last year and 3,800 under 2019. Oil and gas employment, which is not as seasonal as many Alaska industries, has remained in the low 6,000s since the beginning of the year.
Local government’s job count was up 1,000 from last June but down 5,500 from June 2019. State government employment was up 300 from last year and 700 down from 2019. Federal employment was higher than both years, by 300 and 500, respectively.
The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained 6.6 percent in May. The comparable U.S. rate increased slightly, from 5.8 percent to 5.9 percent.