Boroughs with the highest unemployment rate in Alaska

Written by:
November 15, 2022
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Boroughs with the highest unemployment rate in Alaska

Unemployment rates, while significantly lower than the alarming pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, remain a subject of concern, notably as economic experts bandy around the idea of a potential recession by 2023. The last economic recession—the Great Recession of 2008-2010—sent rates up to 10% as of October 2009. It was not until the spring of 2019 that unemployment finally went down to the same level it sits at now.

As of October of this year, national unemployment is at 3.7%, 0.2% higher than in September. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2.0% in Minnesota, to 4.5% in Illinois and 4.7% in the District of Columbia. Further breakdown by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows yet another county-based spectrum within each state.

To that end, Stacker compiled a list of boroughs with the highest unemployment rate in Alaska using data from the BLS. Boroughs are ranked by unemployment rate in September 2022.

#30. Aleutians East Borough

- Current unemployment rate: 1.4%
--- 1 month change: +0.2%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 2,966 (42 unemployed)

#29. Sitka

- Current unemployment rate: 1.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 5,097 (94 unemployed)

#28. Juneau

- Current unemployment rate: 2.3%
--- 1 month change: 0.0%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 17,091 (387 unemployed)

#27. Chugach Census Area

- Current unemployment rate: 2.7%
--- 1 month change: +0.2%
--- 1 year change: -1.6%
- Total labor force: 3,754 (103 unemployed)

#26. Anchorage

- Current unemployment rate: 2.9%
--- 1 month change: 0.0%
--- 1 year change: -1.9%
- Total labor force: 151,339 (4,434 unemployed)

#25. Bristol Bay Borough

- Current unemployment rate: 2.9%
--- 1 month change: +0.9%
--- 1 year change: -2.4%
- Total labor force: 383 (11 unemployed)

#24. Fairbanks North Star Borough

- Current unemployment rate: 2.9%
--- 1 month change: 0.0%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 45,261 (1,326 unemployed)

#23. Aleutians West Census Area

- Current unemployment rate: 3.0%
--- 1 month change: +1.0%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 3,534 (107 unemployed)

#22. Kodiak Island Borough

- Current unemployment rate: 3.2%
--- 1 month change: +0.3%
--- 1 year change: -2.0%
- Total labor force: 6,019 (192 unemployed)

#21. Ketchikan Gateway Borough

- Current unemployment rate: 3.4%
--- 1 month change: +0.1%
--- 1 year change: -2.0%
- Total labor force: 6,992 (236 unemployed)

#20. Yakutat

- Current unemployment rate: 3.4%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -2.6%
- Total labor force: 322 (11 unemployed)

#19. Hoonah–Angoon Census Area

- Current unemployment rate: 3.9%
--- 1 month change: +0.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.4%
- Total labor force: 1,348 (53 unemployed)

#18. Wrangell

- Current unemployment rate: 3.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -2.9%
- Total labor force: 942 (37 unemployed)

#17. Kenai Peninsula Borough

- Current unemployment rate: 4.0%
--- 1 month change: +0.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.8%
- Total labor force: 28,198 (1,132 unemployed)

#16. Matanuska-Susitna Borough

- Current unemployment rate: 4.0%
--- 1 month change: 0.0%
--- 1 year change: -1.4%
- Total labor force: 49,808 (1,980 unemployed)

#15. Petersburg Borough

- Current unemployment rate: 4.2%
--- 1 month change: +0.6%
--- 1 year change: -1.2%
- Total labor force: 1,662 (69 unemployed)

#14. Southeast Fairbanks Census Area

- Current unemployment rate: 4.3%
--- 1 month change: 0.0%
--- 1 year change: -1.2%
- Total labor force: 3,221 (138 unemployed)

#13. Denali Borough

- Current unemployment rate: 4.6%
--- 1 month change: +0.4%
--- 1 year change: -1.8%
- Total labor force: 1,029 (47 unemployed)

#12. Lake and Peninsula Borough

- Current unemployment rate: 4.8%
--- 1 month change: +0.9%
--- 1 year change: -2.6%
- Total labor force: 747 (36 unemployed)

#11. Skagway

- Current unemployment rate: 5.0%
--- 1 month change: +0.3%
--- 1 year change: -3.3%
- Total labor force: 682 (34 unemployed)

#10. North Slope Borough

- Current unemployment rate: 5.1%
--- 1 month change: +0.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.4%
- Total labor force: 2,809 (142 unemployed)

#9. Dillingham Census Area

- Current unemployment rate: 5.2%
--- 1 month change: +0.2%
--- 1 year change: -1.4%
- Total labor force: 1,802 (93 unemployed)

#8. Prince of Wales–Hyder Census Area

- Current unemployment rate: 5.2%
--- 1 month change: +0.2%
--- 1 year change: -1.5%
- Total labor force: 2,822 (146 unemployed)

#7. Haines Borough

- Current unemployment rate: 5.3%
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -2.5%
- Total labor force: 1,081 (57 unemployed)

#6. Nome Census Area

- Current unemployment rate: 7.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
- Total labor force: 4,171 (300 unemployed)

#5. Copper River Census Area

- Current unemployment rate: 7.5%
--- 1 month change: +1.1%
--- 1 year change: +0.2%
- Total labor force: 1,524 (114 unemployed)

#4. Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area

- Current unemployment rate: 7.5%
--- 1 month change: +0.3%
--- 1 year change: -2.1%
- Total labor force: 2,375 (177 unemployed)

#3. Bethel Census Area

- Current unemployment rate: 9.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -2.8%
- Total labor force: 6,775 (620 unemployed)

#2. Northwest Arctic Borough

- Current unemployment rate: 9.2%
--- 1 month change: +0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 2,860 (262 unemployed)

#1. Kusilvak Census Area

- Current unemployment rate: 13.1%
--- 1 month change: -1.4%
--- 1 year change: -3.5%
- Total labor force: 2,321 (305 unemployed)

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