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Double Digit Unemployment for Southwest Alaska

The Southwest region of Alaska posted double-digit unemployment numbers last month. Southwest is the only region in the state with double-digit unemployment. The October unemployment numbers from the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development puts the unemployment rate for Southwest Alaska at 13.4-percent. That’s well above the 6-percent recorded in Southeast and in the Interior region. The Northern region posted an October unemployment rate of 8.8-percent and it was 7.1-percent in the Gulf Coast region. The Anchorage/Mat-Su region posted a 5.1-percent unemployment rate. The October unemployment rate in the Dillingham Census Area was 10.1-percent, which is up compared to the 8.7-percent recorded back in September. The unemployment rate in the Bristol Bay Borough jumped up to 6.8-percent. That’s up from the 3.1-percent rate recorded back in September. The October unemployment rate in the Lake and Peninsula Borough was 6.9-percent, which is up from the 5.2-percent rate recorded back in September. The October rate in the Aleutians East Borough was 12.2-percent and it was 11.5-percent in the Aleutians West Census Area. The Bethel Census Area posted an October unemployment rate of 14.1-percent. That’s down a full percentage point compared to the September rate. The highest unemployment rate in the Southwest region and in the state was the 19.7-percent recorded in the Wade Hampton Census Area. That’s was up compared to the 18.3—percent rate recorded back in September. Looking at some other areas of the state. The unemployment rate in Anchorage was 4.7-percent and it was 6.4-percent in the Mat-Su Borough. The Kodiak Island Borough posted an October unemployment rate of 4.8-percent and it was 7.2-percent in the Kenai Peninsula Borough. The Fairbanks North Star Borough posted an unemployment rate of 5.1-percent but it was up to 14.2-percent in the Northwest Arctic Borough. The rate in Juneau was 4.3-percent. That’s the lowest unemployment rate in the State. Statewide the October unemployment rate was 6.1-percent. That’s up from the 5.5-percent rate recorded back in September. When Alaska’s unemployment rate is seasonally adjusted it jumps up to 6.5-percent, which compares favorably to the national unemployment rate of 7.3-percent. The Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development confirms that Alaska’s unemployment rate has been below the national rate for the last 5-years. You can take a look at the October unemployment numbers on the website of the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development.