KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
Kodiak’s jobless rate took a big jump in November, largely due to fewer fishing related jobs.
Kodiak’s unemployment rate jumped from 7.2 percent to 12.8 percent as the fishing season came to an end.
Another big fishing area-Bristol Bay-had a smaller, though comparable, increase from 7.8 percent to 10.4 percent.
Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development labor economist Dan Robinson says the state’s rates indicate that Alaska’s economy has been relatively unaffected by the national recession.
Says Robinson: Alaska’s economy often follows different trends than the country as a whole.
Anchorage had the lowest unemployment rate in the state with 3.7 percent. That compares to a much higher national rate of 5.3 percent.
