KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
Kodiak’s jobless rate for last month dropped a full percentage point below the June rate, though it was a bit higher than the same time last year.
July’s unemployment rate was six-point-four percent, down from seven-point-four percent in June. Last July Kodiak’s rate was six-point-one percent.
The statewide rate in July was seven-point-seven percent, which compares favorable to the rest of the country which averaged nine-point-one percent in July.
In terms of real people, the Alaska Department of Labor reports 463 people were unemployed in Kodiak in July. The actual number was probably higher since the jobless rate is calculated based on the number of job seekers. There is no mechanism for tracking people in areas, such as villages, where there are generally no open jobs to seek.
However, jobs were plentiful in many rural areas of the state as fishing kicked into high gear. July is generally the top month for jobs in Alaska with the labor force active in construction, fishing, seafood processing, and the visitor industry.
The Bristol Bay region had the lowest jobless rate statewide with just one-point-one percent.
