December 2018
Preliminary1 Unemployment Rate
To view unemployment rates and labor force data for an area, click on the area name or unemployment rate.
Read January 18, 2019 press release
Not Seasonally Adjusted
Unemployment Rates
U.S., Alaska, and Borough and Census Areas
Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA)
Area |
Unemployment Rate |
---|---|
Anchorage/Mat-Su MSA | 5.6% |
Fairbanks MSA | 5.8% |
Alaska's Economic Regions
Seasonally Adjusted2
Unemployment Rates
Area |
Unemployment Rate |
---|---|
United States | 3.9% |
Alaska | 6.3% |
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.
Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rates
Alaska and U.S.
January 2012 to
December 2018
Source: Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Research and Analysis Section