Alaska’s unemployment rate was 6.3 percent last month, flat since January. Officials with the state labor department say those figures may not truly reflect the state’s economy.
The seasonally adjusted rate fell steeply during the latter half of 2014 after a fairly stable period. The department says fewer unemployment insurance claims were submitted after new work search conditions were implemented in September.
Economist Caroline Schultz says it’s possible more claims were denied, or it may be that people decided simply not to apply, it’s hard to tell based on current state data.
For the Kenai Peninsula, unemployment last month was up to 9.7 percent from 8.8 percent in January. This year’s rate is also up two points from the same time period last year
Aside from the claims, Schultz says she would have expected a rate similar to the first half of 2014, which was 6.9 percent.