| November
2002 |
The
Delta Region |
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Just
seven years ago it looked as if the Delta region
were about to lose most of its economic base with
the planned closure of Fort Greely. In 1995 it was
estimated that nearly half of the economic base
in the Delta region was associated with the fort.
It was thought that business tied to the Alaska
and Richardson highways, the Trans- Alaska Pipeline,
transfer payments and farming could sustain a limited
amount of economic activity but it certainly would
not fill the shoes the Army was about to leave.
It appeared inevitable that the area would wither
to a size considerably smaller than its former self. |
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| October
2002 |
Rental
Housing
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Alaska
has a higher proportion of its population living
in rental housing than most states, ranking seventh
in the U.S., according to Census 2000 figures.
About 34 percent of Alaskans live in rental housing.
Trends in the residential rental market are of
interest to tenants, landlords, banks, developers,
and public housing agencies.
October
2002 Trends |
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| September
2002 |
The
Bethel Census Area |
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The
Bethel census area encompasses a 41,087 square
mile area in western Alaska, nearly the size of
the state of Ohio. Two types of landscapes predominate.
In the southwest lies the vast Yukon-Kuskowim
delta region, commonly referred to as the Y-K
delta. In this lower section the Kuskokwim River
flows southwest and effectively divides the Y-K
delta region into a western and eastern half.
September
2002 Trends |
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| August
2002 |
The
Trends 100 |
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After
many years of steady, rapid climb, Providence
Health System in Alaska grabbed the top spot on
the Trends 100 list in 2001. With a workforce
of 3,369, it is now Alaska’s largest private
sector employer (See Exhibit 1.) Providence's
ascendance was anticipated a number of years ago,
but was temporarily delayed when Safeway bought
Carrs. Ten years ago Providence had a workforce
of 1,824.
August 2002
Trends |
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| July
2002 |
The
Eating and Drinking Industry |
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It
is not just your imagination that eating places
appear to be popping up literally everywhere these
days—in gas stations, schools, airports,
hotels, stores, along with those ubiquitous coffee
shacks, and your actual stand-alone fast food
eateries, bars, and sit-down restaurants. The
eating and drinking industry is mushrooming across
the nation.
July 2002
Trends
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| June
2002 |
The
Cost of Living |
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Around
the water cooler and in serious circles, Alaska’s
cost of living has ever been a major source of
conversation. Much lore and myth surround the
cost of things in Alaska. Although the cost-of-living
differential between Alaska and elsewhere in the
nation has narrowed, it remains a topic of intense
interest, ranking among the most requested economic
data. This article is intended to satisfy most
of these data needs.
June 2002
Trends |
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May
2002 |
Employment
Outlook |
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Industries
relying on natural resource development and extraction
and those selling Alaska’s beauty drive
Alaska’s labor force. Oil and gas, seafood,
and tourism employ a significant share of the
state’s workforce. In recent years, Alaska’s
economy has better weathered the storms associated
with high and low oil prices, fluctuating fish
harvests, and fickle tourists than it did thirty
years ago. Today, while the health of resource-based
industries still heavily influences the workforce,
the state has a more diversified economy.
May 2002
Trends |
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April
2002 |
The
Year 2001 In Review |
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Year
2001 marked the thirteenth consecutive year of
job growth in Alaska, the second longest period
of expansion in the state's history. It was another
good year for the oil industry, which recorded
its second straight year of growth, adding another
1,000 jobs in 2001 after contributing 900 jobs
to the state's economy in the year 2000. Construction
was also strong, but the biggest portion of 2001's
job growth was once again in the services sector.
April 2002
Trends |
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March
2002 |
Alaska's
Labor Force |
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The
aging of Alaska’s labor force has been well
documented in Alaska Economic Trends and other
sources. Alaska’s population and economic
trends of the past thirty years will have an impact
on the state’s economy for years to come.
This article will review how Alaska’s labor
force became what it is today, and take a look
at what might happen in the future.
March 2002
Trends |
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February
2002 |
The
Federal Government in Alaska |
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Ever
since the purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867,
the federal government has been a heavy weight
on Alaska's economic scene, and this is still
true today.
February
2002 Trends |
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January
2002 |
Manufacturing |
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Manufacturing
was once the industrial heart of America. The
steel mills of Pittsburgh and the automobile factories
of Detroit attracted large numbers of immigrants
to high paying jobs...
January
2002 Trends |
