(The Center Square) – Alaska’s job count grew by 1% over the past year, but the unemployment rate remains above the national average, according to the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
The state’s job count in July was up by 3,600 since July 2022, with most new jobs coming from the leisure and hospitality sector. Partially thanks to record-setting cruise ship visitors, leisure and hospitality added 2,100 jobs since last July – a gain of 5%, DOLWD reported Friday.
Health care added 600 new jobs and the oil and gas industry grew by 400 jobs, the department said. Similarly, federal government jobs rose by 600 over the year and local government, which includes public schools, added 400 jobs.
State government jobs also grew by 300, including employment at the University of Alaska.
Despite the job growth, Alaska’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 3.8%, slightly above the national unemployment rate of 3.5%. Previously, the state’s unemployment rate dipped to 3.6% in May but grew again to 3.7% in June, according to DOLWD.
Some of Alaska’s industries lost jobs over the year, including manufacturing and seafood processing. It has lost 1,900 jobs since July 2022, according to the department.
“July is the peak employment month due to salmon harvesting, but both harvest and processing volume can vary considerably year to year,” DOLWD said.
Information and financial activities also lost 100 jobs over the year.
