October 2013
Preliminary1 Unemployment Rate

To view unemployment rates and labor force data for an area, click on the area name or unemployment rate.

Read November 22, 2013 press release

Not Seasonally Adjusted
Unemployment Rates
U.S., Alaska, and Borough and Census Areas
 
Area		 Unemployment Rate
United States 7.0%
Alaska 6.1%
Aleutians East Borough 12.2%
Aleutians West Census Area 11.5%
Anchorage, Municipality of 4.7%
Bethel Census Area 14.1%
Bristol Bay Borough 6.8%
Denali Borough 10.3%
Dillingham Census Area 10.1%
Fairbanks North Star Borough 5.1%
Haines Borough 7.9%
Hoonah-Angoon Census Area 12.5%
Juneau, City and Borough of 4.3%
Kenai Peninsula Borough 7.2%
Ketchikan Gateway Borough 5.8%
Kodiak Island Borough 4.8%
Lake and Peninsula Borough 6.9%
Matanuska-Susitna Borough 6.4%
Nome Census Area 9.8%
North Slope Borough 4.8%
Northwest Arctic Borough 14.2%
Petersburg Census Area 8.7%
Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area 11.2%
Sitka, City and Borough of 5.0%
Skagway, Municipality of 15.6%
Southeast Fairbanks Census Area 10.0%
Valdez-Cordova Census Area 9.8%
Wade Hampton Census Area 19.7%
Wrangell, City and Borough of 9.2%
Yakutat, City and Borough of 6.6%
Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area 12.8%
Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA)
 
Area		 Unemployment Rate
Anchorage/Mat-Su MSA 5.1%
Fairbanks MSA 5.1%
Alaska's Economic Regions
 
Area		 Unemployment Rate
Anchorage/Mat-Su Economic Region 5.1%
Gulf Coast Economic Region 7.1%
Interior Economic Region 6.0%
Northern Economic Region 8.8%
Southeast Economic Region 6.0%
Southwest Economic Region 13.4%
Seasonally Adjusted2
Unemployment Rates
 
Area		 Unemployment Rate
United States 7.3%
Alaska 6.5%

1Preliminary data are the most current available. Data are revised every month for the previous month and again at the end of every calendar year.
2Seasonal adjustment is a statistical method for removing predictable seasonal fluctuations in the unemployment rates so that the underlying trends are easier to see. For example, Alaska’s unemployment rates are typically lower in the summer when construction, fishing, and tourism jobs are all at their yearly high points. Removing that expected seasonal fluctuation provides a clearer picture of whether rates are rising or falling, aside from their normal ups and downs over the course of the year.

Read more about seasonal adjustment and how it works.

Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rates
Alaska and U.S.
January 2003 to October 2013

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Source: Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Research and Analysis Section

To view a larger PDF of this graph, click here.