Boroughs with the highest unemployment in Alaska
2024 ended on a high note, with the unemployment rate relatively unchanged at 4.1%, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Jan. 10.
Unemployment rates were higher in November than the prior year in 308 of 389 metro areas, though they dropped in 60 areas and remained unchanged in 21 areas, the BLS reported.
The lion's share of job growth remained in government, social assistance, and health care, with openings in nursing, residential care facilities, and home health care leading employment in the latter sector.
To get a glimpse of regional variations in employment, Stacker compiled a list of boroughs with the highest unemployment rates in Alaska, using BLS data. Boroughs are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in November 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that borough, though some ties may remain. Borough-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.
Key takeaways: Biden's economic legacy, inauguration day, and immigration's impact on jobs
The latest BLS report highlights the final job figures under the Biden administration, giving the outgoing president a win during his final weeks in office. President Biden highlighted the creation of 16.6 million jobs during his term in a Jan. 11 statement.
"Although I inherited the worst economic crisis in decades with unemployment above 6% when I took office, we've had the lowest average unemployment rate of any administration in 50 years with unemployment at 4.1% as I leave," he said.
Incoming President-elect Donald Trump will inherit a strong economy, with forecasts tracking ongoing growth into 2025. However, uncertainty remains. Trump's proposed tariffs on foreign goods coupled with a sweeping deportation operation may have a significant impact on the economy, accelerating inflation and tamping down job growth, some experts forecast.
"I worry that immigration will be significantly lower than the long-term average of 1.0 million. I worry that tariffs will be universal and lead to a trade war. That would not be good for the economy and earnings," Hugh Johnson, chairman emeritus at Graypoint, told U.S. News.
What does all this mean for middle-class Americans? The unemployment rate is projected to remain stable, only creeping up to 4.3%, according to the Federal Reserve's latest Summary of Economic Projections. Experts suggest paying down mortgages, revisiting investment strategies, and paying attention to taxes before rates possibly shift as Inauguration Day draws close.
The big story: California wildfires still rage
Although Goldman predicts only a "modest drag" on U.S. jobs due to the devastating California wildfires, the situation is still ongoing. Small businesses destroyed by the fires will impact local jobs; in the wake of the fires, a surge in construction and the need for labor and materials might lead to localized shortages and rising costs, impacting several industries.
However, amid political and environmental uncertainty, it's unclear which way the winds will blow. Americans will have to simply wait for the smoke to clear.
To get a better idea of your community's current economy, read on to see the boroughs with the highest unemployment in Alaska.
#30. Sitka Borough/city
- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,478 people (139 unemployed)
#29. Juneau Borough/city
- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,650 people (637 unemployed)
#28. Anchorage Borough/municipality
- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 154,683 people (5,986 unemployed)
#27. Fairbanks North Star Borough
- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 46,276 people (2,045 unemployed)
#26. Aleutians East Borough
- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 2.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,324 people (65 unemployed)
#25. Aleutians West Census Area
- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,745 people (142 unemployed)
#24. Ketchikan Gateway Borough
- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,409 people (336 unemployed)
#23. Matanuska-Susitna Borough
- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 50,932 people (2,663 unemployed)
#22. Wrangell Borough/city
- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 978 people (52 unemployed)
#21. Southeast Fairbanks Census Area
- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,715 people (199 unemployed)
#20. Kenai Peninsula Borough
- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 27,325 people (1,490 unemployed)
#19. North Slope Borough
- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,304 people (197 unemployed)
#18. Kodiak Island Borough
- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,465 people (332 unemployed)
#17. Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area
- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,481 people (182 unemployed)
#16. Yakutat Borough/city
- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 2.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 269 people (20 unemployed)
#15. Hoonah-Angoon Census Area
- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 3.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 3.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,112 people (85 unemployed)
#14. Chugach Census Area
- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,067 people (236 unemployed)
#13. Nome Census Area
- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,117 people (324 unemployed)
#12. Petersburg Borough
- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 2.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 3.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,241 people (102 unemployed)
#11. Lake and Peninsula Borough
- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 564 people (47 unemployed)
#10. Bristol Bay Borough
- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 2.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 3.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 232 people (20 unemployed)
#9. Haines Borough
- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 2.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,044 people (90 unemployed)
#8. Dillingham Census Area
- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,599 people (140 unemployed)
#7. Copper River Census Area
- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,205 people (107 unemployed)
#6. Northwest Arctic Borough
- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 9.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,105 people (302 unemployed)
#5. Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area
- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 9.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,374 people (232 unemployed)
#4. Bethel Census Area
- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 10.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,981 people (712 unemployed)
#3. Denali Borough
- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 12.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 3.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 601 people (72 unemployed)
#2. Skagway Municipality
- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 13.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 7.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 9.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 566 people (77 unemployed)
#1. Kusilvak Census Area
- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 15.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,393 people (374 unemployed)
This story features data reporting by Elena Cox, writing by Alizah Salario, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
