Boroughs with the highest unemployment in Alaska
In November, the national unemployment rate changed very little from October, rising from 4.1% to 4.2%. It's been slightly elevated in recent months compared to levels a year ago—likely a symptom of the Federal Reserve's higher interest rates, which can slow hiring and decrease job openings. It's up from 3.7% the year before, but for comparison, unemployment rates surged to 10% in October 2009 during the Great Recession, and a full recovery took years. At the height of the brief COVID-19 recession in April 2020, unemployment hit 14.7%.
To get a glimpse of regional variations in employment, 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 October 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.
Despite the slight uptick in unemployment, the labor market added 227,000 jobs in November, according to the BLS.
In the private sector, employment increased by 146,000 jobs, with 50,000 jobs added in education and health services and another 28,000 jobs in trade, transportation, and utilities, according to ADP's National Employment Report. While Sun Belt states saw growth in manufacturing roles, other jobs diminished in the sector across the Rust Belt, which continues to see losses.
The labor market forecast for 2025 is still somewhat uncertain. The reelection of Donald Trump and his proposal to impose 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico may send ripples throughout the economy. A tariff increase could create an inflationary environment, shifting the labor market as inflation inches toward the 2% goal.
To get a better idea of your community's current economy, read on to see the boroughs with the highest unemployment in Alaska.
#25. Kodiak Island Borough
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,916 people (255 unemployed)
#24. Ketchikan Gateway Borough
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,772 people (292 unemployed)
#23. Hoonah-Angoon Census Area
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,246 people (57 unemployed)
#22. Aleutians West Census Area
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,876 people (131 unemployed)
#21. Matanuska-Susitna Borough
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 50,136 people (2,294 unemployed)
#20. Kenai Peninsula Borough
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 27,339 people (1,331 unemployed)
#19. Southeast Fairbanks Census Area
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,627 people (190 unemployed)
#18. Wrangell Borough/city
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 936 people (50 unemployed)
#17. Yakutat Borough/city
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 276 people (15 unemployed)
#16. Skagway Municipality
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 3.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 3.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 759 people (41 unemployed)
#15. Petersburg Borough
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,366 people (78 unemployed)
#14. North Slope Borough
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,170 people (182 unemployed)
#13. Bristol Bay Borough
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 3.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 3.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 291 people (18 unemployed)
#12. Haines Borough
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 2.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,074 people (68 unemployed)
#11. Chugach Census Area
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 2.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 3.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,187 people (211 unemployed)
#10. Lake and Peninsula Borough
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 660 people (44 unemployed)
#9. Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,644 people (186 unemployed)
#8. Nome Census Area
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,163 people (300 unemployed)
#7. Copper River Census Area
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 2.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,244 people (92 unemployed)
#6. Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 2,470 people (198 unemployed)
#5. Denali Borough
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 5.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 5.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 719 people (60 unemployed)
#4. Dillingham Census Area
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,584 people (138 unemployed)
#3. Northwest Arctic Borough
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,090 people (271 unemployed)
#2. Bethel Census Area
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 10.1%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,558 people (665 unemployed)
#1. Kusilvak Census Area
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 14.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,293 people (321 unemployed)
This story features data reporting and writing by Dom DiFurio and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
