Department of Numbers

Anchorage, Alaska Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Anchorage fell 0.1 percentage points in March 2021 to 6.4%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.2 percentage points lower than the Alaska rate. The unemployment rate in Anchorage peaked in April 2020 at 14.8% and is now 8.4 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 5.9% in October 2020, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.5 percentage points. You can also compare Anchorage unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate March 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
National 6.0% -0.2 +1.6
Alaska 6.6% 0.0 +1.5
Anchorage 6.4% -0.1 +0.9
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with March 2021 data as April metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Anchorage, Alaska, National

Anchorage, Alaska monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Anchorage, Alaska Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Anchorage peaked in April 2020 at 28,340. There are now 15,781 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 11,582 in December 2020, the number of unemployed has now grown by 977. Anchorage employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Anchorage, Alaska) is also available.

Unemployed Persons March 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
Anchorage 12,559 -169 +1,918

Number of Unemployed Persons

Anchorage, Alaska Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate		 Alaska
Unemployment Rate		 Anchorage
Unemployment Rate		 Anchorage
Unemployed
April
2021		 6.1% — — —
March
2021		 6.0% 6.6% 6.4% 12,559
February
2021		 6.2% 6.6% 6.5% 12,728
January
2021		 6.3% 6.6% 6.4% 12,659
December
2020		 6.7% 6.5% 5.9% 11,582
November
2020		 6.7% 6.5% 6.4% 12,693
October
2020		 6.9% 6.5% 5.9% 11,918
September
2020		 7.8% 7.0% 7.1% 13,625
August
2020		 8.4% 7.2% 7.4% 13,882
July
2020		 10.2% 11.0% 11.6% 22,392
June
2020		 11.1% 11.3% 12.4% 24,259
May
2020		 13.3% 11.6% 13.1% 24,654

1. Metro area unemployment rates are now seasonally adjusted. The BLS has started publishing smoothed seasonally adjusted metropolitan area data which makes comparisons to state and national data more relevant than the unadjusted numbers. ↩

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