May job numbers in Alaska up from year earlier

JUNEAU, Alaska – Alaska’s unemployment rate fell to 6.4 per cent last month, which would be its lowest level in more than a decade.

But the figure is preliminary and could still change; the state’s unemployment rate had stood at 6.5 per cent since August.

State labour department economist Karinne Wiebold says until there are several months of movement in a certain direction it is too early to say if this means anything.

Federal labour statistics show the last time Alaska’s unemployment rate was 6.4 per cent was December 2007.

The state labour department says Alaska gained 900 jobs between May 2018 and last month. Construction added the most jobs during that time, followed by the oil and gas sector.

Manufacturing, which the department says is mostly seafood processing, was down 600 jobs over that period.