Alaska Jobs Fall to 356,100 as August Unemployment Holds at 4.3%
Updated
Updated · Alaska Business · Sep 21
Alaska Jobs Fall to 356,100 as August Unemployment Holds at 4.3%
1 articles · Updated · Alaska Business · Sep 21
Summary
Alaska counted 356,100 nonfarm jobs in August, down 1,900 from July and 900 from a year earlier, even as the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stayed unchanged at 4.3%.
Government payroll losses outweighed private-sector gains: public employment was 74,700, still 2.2% below August 2025, while private employers added 800 jobs from a year earlier.
Labor force participation fell to 65.5% in August from a post-pandemic peak of 66.2% in February, extending a steady decline that has run all year.
Sector data showed mixed pressure: oil and gas jobs held at 9,600, up 6.7% year over year, and transportation gained 1,300 jobs, while manufacturing and construction remained below year-ago levels.
Regional unemployment was broadly lower than a year earlier, with Anchorage/Mat-Su at 3.2%, suggesting softer hiring rather than rising layoffs is driving the state's weaker job totals.