Boroughs with the highest unemployment in Alaska
The first jobs report under the new Trump administration showed a stable job market, with the unemployment rate ticking down from 4.1% to 4% in January, the lowest since last May, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics figures released Feb. 7.
The report marks 49 consecutive months of overall job growth, the second-longest recorded period since 1939.
Job losses that did occur were concentrated in the mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction industries, which declined by 8,000 jobs over the month. There was little change in employment in other major industries.
To get a glimpse of regional variations in employment, Stacker compiled a list of boroughs with the highest unemployment rates Alaska, using BLS data. Boroughs are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in December 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: Jobs report reveals cooling labor market
January's job growth of 143,000 fell short of expectations, while the downward revision of 589,000 fewer jobs in 2024 suggests the labor market was weaker last year than initially thought.
Business leaders are starting to display more caution, with 67% of executives reporting higher stress levels heading into 2025, according to a survey of 1,000 executives by Sentry, a business insurance company. Among survey respondents, 47% citing economic uncertainty as their biggest concern.
"We have what I would describe as a robust but frozen labor market," Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY-Parthenon, told The New York Times, noting that while unemployment remains low, there's very little churn or employee turnover as "businesses are being cautious as to how they manage their work force."
Moody's Analytics projects monthly payroll gains could slow to around 100,000 by year-end.
The big story: Potential for economic headwinds grows
Behind the "Now Hiring" signs and modest unemployment rate, there's growing concern on Main Street that the economy might be more fragile than it appears.
"You've already got companies hiring as if they're in a recession—even if they're not laying people off," Oliver Allen, senior U.S. economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, told CNN. Average unemployment duration, a lagging indicator, rose from 20.8 weeks in January 2024 to 22 in January of this year.
Tightening trade regulations and federal trimming could also have an impact on the job market. Experts predict the U.S. gross domestic product could take a hit due to increased tariffs. The U.S. government is the country's largest employer and contributes 36% to the GDP.
Sudden cuts to federal spending advocated by the new administration could hit the economy hard. One example of the potential fallout is that if prices were to increase further due to higher tariffs, consumer purchasing power would decline, stymieing economic growth.
Whether the effects of slashing the workforce and the budget will be exceeded by Trump's plans to loosen business regulations and cut taxes remains to be seen.
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
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: -0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,419 people (125 unemployed)
29. Anchorage Borough/municipality
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 153,820 people (5,397 unemployed)
28. Juneau Borough/city
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,364 people (607 unemployed)
27. Fairbanks North Star Borough
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
--- 1-month change: -0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 46,138 people (1,868 unemployed)
26. Wrangell Borough/city
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: -0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 974 people (44 unemployed)
25. North Slope Borough
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: -1.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,334 people (152 unemployed)
24. Ketchikan Gateway Borough
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: -0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,308 people (299 unemployed)
23. Matanuska-Susitna Borough
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 50,703 people (2,580 unemployed)
21. Aleutians West Census Area (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,567 people (133 unemployed)
21. Kenai Peninsula Borough (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 26,987 people (1,409 unemployed)
20. Aleutians East Borough
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
--- 1-month change: +0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,026 people (56 unemployed)
19. Southeast Fairbanks Census Area
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: +0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,578 people (205 unemployed)
18. Yakutat Borough/city
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.1%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 266 people (19 unemployed)
17. Lake and Peninsula Borough
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.5%
--- 1-month change: -0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 549 people (41 unemployed)
16. Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.6%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,470 people (188 unemployed)
15. Chugach Census Area
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.8%
--- 1-month change: +0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,141 people (244 unemployed)
14. Nome Census Area
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.1%
--- 1-month change: +0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,109 people (334 unemployed)
13. Dillingham Census Area
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.2%
--- 1-month change: -0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,606 people (132 unemployed)
12. Petersburg Borough
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.4%
--- 1-month change: +0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +2.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,220 people (103 unemployed)
9. Bristol Bay Borough (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.5%
--- 1-month change: -0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +2.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 223 people (19 unemployed)
9. Kodiak Island Borough (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.5%
--- 1-month change: +2.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,125 people (436 unemployed)
9. Northwest Arctic Borough (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.5%
--- 1-month change: -1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,049 people (260 unemployed)
8. Haines Borough
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 9.2%
--- 1-month change: +1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,001 people (92 unemployed)
7. Hoonah-Angoon Census Area
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 9.3%
--- 1-month change: +1.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,129 people (105 unemployed)
6. Copper River Census Area
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 9.8%
--- 1-month change: +0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,241 people (121 unemployed)
5. Bethel Census Area
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 10.2%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,838 people (697 unemployed)
4. Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 11.2%
--- 1-month change: +0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +2.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,257 people (252 unemployed)
3. Denali Borough
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 14.2%
--- 1-month change: +2.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +2.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 570 people (81 unemployed)
2. Kusilvak Census Area
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 15.5%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,388 people (370 unemployed)
1. Skagway Municipality
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 17.2%
--- 1-month change: +3.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +4.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 565 people (97 unemployed)
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Ben Popken, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
