The Department of Labor released the latest round of unemployment numbers this morning. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for August was 6.8 percent in August. The Department notes that it is too early to tell if this jump is a new trend or just an anomaly. The rate has held relatively steady near 6.5 percent since early 2013.
Areas of the state with continued low rates of unemployment are areas that rely heavily on seasonal industries. These areas include the Municipality of Skagway, Bristol Bay Borough, and Denali Borough where rates are all below 3 percent. The Wade Hampton Census Area had the highest rate at 22.8 percent.
The National average continued its slow drop in August. The rate was 6.1 percent, down one-tenth of a percent from the prior month. The Department of Labor will continue to monitor both the seasonally adjusted rate and the not-seasonally adjusted rate to determine if Alaska’s growing unemployment is a trend or just a blip.
For detailed employment statistics, please visit http://live.laborstats.alaska.gov/ces/
