Boroughs with the highest unemployment in Alaska
While today's unemployment rates are significantly lower than the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains as workers stare down an uncertain economic future.
Stacker compiled a list of boroughs with the highest unemployment rates in Alaska using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Boroughs are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in March 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.
Experts have mixed views of a potential recession. The return of student loan payments, continually high gas prices, persistent inflation, and insurance price escalations are just a few of the factors that could limit consumer spending and potentially prompt another recession.
The last economic recession before the pandemic—the Great Recession of 2007-09—sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.
But as of April 2024, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.9%—up slightly from the previous month. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2% in North Dakota to 5.3% in California.
Read on to see the boroughs with the highest unemployment in Alaska.
#30. Aleutians West Census Area
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,785 people (99 unemployed)
#29. Aleutians East Borough
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,708 people (68 unemployed)
#28. Sitka Borough/city
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 4,352 people (130 unemployed)
#27. Juneau Borough/city
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,687 people (554 unemployed)
#26. Kodiak Island Borough
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,698 people (198 unemployed)
#25. Anchorage Borough/municipality
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 152,069 people (5,764 unemployed)
#24. Fairbanks North Star Borough
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 45,528 people (1,850 unemployed)
#23. North Slope Borough
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,410 people (158 unemployed)
#22. Ketchikan Gateway Borough
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,195 people (290 unemployed)
#21. Wrangell Borough/city
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 854 people (46 unemployed)
#20. Matanuska-Susitna Borough
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 50,305 people (2,849 unemployed)
#19. Kenai Peninsula Borough
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 26,420 people (1,557 unemployed)
#18. Southeast Fairbanks Census Area
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,306 people (215 unemployed)
#17. Lake and Peninsula Borough
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 557 people (39 unemployed)
#16. Petersburg Borough
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,284 people (90 unemployed)
#15. Bristol Bay Borough
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 2.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 249 people (18 unemployed)
#14. Yakutat Borough/city
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 2.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 291 people (24 unemployed)
#13. Dillingham Census Area
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,549 people (128 unemployed)
#12. Chugach Census Area
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,053 people (257 unemployed)
#11. Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,553 people (217 unemployed)
#10. Nome Census Area
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,435 people (391 unemployed)
#9. Hoonah-Angoon Census Area
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 9.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 2.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 975 people (95 unemployed)
#8. Northwest Arctic Borough
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 10.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,065 people (318 unemployed)
#7. Copper River Census Area
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 10.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,212 people (130 unemployed)
#6. Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 10.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,357 people (255 unemployed)
#5. Bethel Census Area
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 11.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,735 people (743 unemployed)
#4. Haines Borough
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 11.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 970 people (110 unemployed)
#3. Denali Borough
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 13.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 609 people (79 unemployed)
#2. Skagway Municipality
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 15.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 5.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 573 people (88 unemployed)
#1. Kusilvak Census Area
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 16.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,488 people (398 unemployed)
This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
