Alaska Q4, 2019 Employment Statistics- 22,550 employers, up 2.3% from 22,033
- 315,093 employees, up 0.6% from 313,255
- $1,139 average weekly wage, up 3.2% from $1,104
- The average weekly wage is 3.9% below the national average
- The cost of living is 29.9% above the national average
Employer & Employee Growth
In the last year, the number of employers in the state increased by 517, which is an increase of 2.3%. The number of employees in Alaska increased by 1,837, an increase of 0.6%. During this same period, the average weekly wage increased by $35, an increase of 3.2%.
The number of private employers increased since last years' Q1. The number of private businesses increased by 498 or 2.5%. Growth in private businesses in Alaska grew slower than the national average of 2.5%. The number of employees in these businesses increased since last years' Q1, increasing by 2,201 or 1.0%. The growth in employees of private businesses in Alaska was slower than the national average of 1.2%.
The average weekly wage of employees of private businesses increased since last years' Q1. The averge weekly wage increased by $41 or 3.8%. Growth in average weekly wage of employees of private businesses in Alaska grew slower than the national average of 3.8%.
Leading Sectors
Businesses by Sector
The sector with the greatest number of businesses in the state is Construction with 11.1% of the businesses in the state. The number of businesses in this sector increased by 2.2%. Retail trade (10.4%), which increased by 1.7% and Healthcare (10.2%), which increased by 3.9%, round out the 3 largest sectors.
Table: Sectors by Year-over-Year Qtly Business Change %
Sector | Change Biz | % Change |
---|---|---|
Agriculture and forestry | 17 | 6.1% |
Information | 17 | 4.5% |
Healthcare | 87 | 3.9% |
Educational services | 12 | 3.6% |
Transport and warehousing | 39 | 3.4% |
Manufacturing | 19 | 3.2% |
Company management | 5 | 3.2% |
Wholesale trade | 20 | 2.9% |
Professional services | 59 | 2.8% |
Utilities | 3 | 2.8% |
Arts and entertainment | 14 | 2.4% |
Construction | 55 | 2.2% |
Real estate and rental | 12 | 1.8% |
Retail trade | 40 | 1.7% |
Waste services | 14 | 1.2% |
Accommodation and food services | 24 | 1.1% |
Finance and insurance | 8 | 1.1% |
Other services | 13 | 0.8% |
Mining and oil extraction | -1 | -0.4% |
Employees by Sector
The sector with the greatest number of employees in the state is Healthcare with 15.2% of the employees in the state, had an increase in employees of 1.1% in the last year. Retail trade (11.1%), decreased by 1.7% and Accommodation and food services (9.0%), increased by 2.0%, round out the top 3 sectors.Table: Sectors by Year-over-Year Qtly Employee Change %
Sector | Employee Change | % Change |
---|---|---|
Agriculture and forestry | 124 | 9.8% |
Mining and oil extraction | 665 | 5.3% |
Manufacturing | 325 | 3.8% |
Real estate and rental | 156 | 3.6% |
Wholesale trade | 213 | 3.4% |
Utilities | 46 | 2.1% |
Arts and entertainment | 90 | 2.1% |
Accommodation and food services | 546 | 2.0% |
Transport and warehousing | 337 | 1.8% |
Waste services | 155 | 1.4% |
Professional services | 164 | 1.3% |
Healthcare | 518 | 1.1% |
Company management | 6 | 0.2% |
Construction | 4 | 0.1% |
Other services | -72 | -0.7% |
Retail trade | -593 | -1.7% |
Finance and insurance | -174 | -2.6% |
Educational services | -95 | -3.8% |
Information | -248 | -4.5% |
Average Weekly Wage by Sector
The sector that pays their employees the highest is Mining and oil extraction paying $2,621per week compared with the state average of $1,128. Weekly wages in this sector declined by $33 or 1.2%. Utilities ($1,807), rose by $45 or 2.6% and Company management ($1,786) increased by $125 or 7.5% round out the 3 largest sectors.Table: Sectors by Year-over-Year Weekly Wage Change %
Sector | Wage Change | Change % |
---|---|---|
Educational services | $58 | 9.0% |
Agriculture and forestry | $78 | 8.4% |
Professional services | $115 | 7.7% |
Company management | $125 | 7.5% |
Waste services | $63 | 7.0% |
Finance and insurance | $78 | 5.9% |
Arts and entertainment | $21 | 4.9% |
Retail trade | $27 | 4.3% |
Healthcare | $47 | 4.3% |
Transport and warehousing | $46 | 3.4% |
Real estate and rental | $32 | 3.3% |
Accommodation and food services | $14 | 3.0% |
Utilities | $45 | 2.6% |
Other services | $20 | 2.6% |
Information | $29 | 2.3% |
Construction | $36 | 2.3% |
Manufacturing | $7 | 0.7% |
Wholesale trade | $0 | 0.0% |
Mining and oil extraction | $-33 | -1.2% |
Leading Industries
Businesses by Industry
Each broad sector is made up of specific industries. In Alaska. the industry with the most businesses is Restaurants and other eating places with 5.3% of the businesses in the state (with 1,204 employing 17,499 workers). The Restaurants and other eating places industry had 21 more businesses, an increase of 1.8% in the last year. Residential building construction (2.2% of businesses) added 39 businesses, an increase of 8.4% and Offices of physicians (1.9% of businesses) added 8 businesses, an increase of 1.9% round out the 3 industries with the most businesses.Table: Top 7 Industries by Business Change %
Industry | Business Chg | % Change |
---|---|---|
Software publishers | 13 | 68.4% |
All other food manufacturing | 2 | 66.7% |
Credit bureaus | 1 | 50.0% |
Telephone call centers | 5 | 50.0% |
Management training | 4 | 40.0% |
Professional employer organizations | 2 | 40.0% |
Public relations agencies | 4 | 36.4% |
Table: Top 7 Industries by Business Change #
Industry | Business Chg | % Change |
---|---|---|
Residential building construction | 39 | 8.4% |
Services for the elderly and disabled | 37 | 31.4% |
Computer systems design and related services | 30 | 8.7% |
Gasoline stations with convenience stores | 25 | 18.9% |
Restaurants and other eating places | 21 | 1.8% |
Engineering services | 19 | 7.1% |
All other miscellaneous store retailers | 17 | 13.4% |
Employees by Industry
Residential building construction (2.2% of employees) added 39 employees, an increase of 8.4% and Offices of physicians (1.9% ofemployees) added 8 employees, an increase of 1.9% round out the 3 industries with the most employees.Table: Top 7 Industries by Employee Change %
Industry | Emp Chg | % Change |
---|---|---|
Other travel arrangement services | 62 | 70.5% |
Scenic and sightseeing transportation land | 150 | 59.0% |
All other chemical preparation manufacturing | 15 | 57.2% |
Nature parks and other similar institutions | 37 | 52.8% |
Sporting and athletic goods manufacturing | 2 | 50.0% |
Scenic and sightseeing transportation water | 148 | 43.9% |
Petroleum bulk stations and terminals | 122 | 43.7% |
Table: Top 7 Industries by Employee Change #
Industry | Emp Chg | % Change |
---|---|---|
Commercial building construction | 445 | 16.4% |
Support activities for mining | 412 | 6.7% |
Hotels and motels except casino hotels | 380 | 6.2% |
General medical and surgical hospitals | 346 | 2.7% |
Wired and wireless telecommunications carriers | 278 | 9.4% |
Seafood product preparation and packaging | 243 | 4.9% |
Offices of physicians | 212 | 2.5% |
Average Weekly Wage by Industry
The industry that pays their employees the most is Geophysical surveying and mapping services, paying $3,160 compared with the state average of $1,128. Employees in the Geophysical surveying and mapping services industry were paid $1,174 more per week, an increase of 59.1% in the last year. Securities brokerage ($3,134) and Portfolio management ($3,097) round out the top 3 industries. Employees in the Securities brokerage ($3,134 per week) were paid $0 more per week, an increase of 0.0% and Portfolio management ($3,097 per week) were paid $228 more per week, an increase of 7.9% round out the 3 industries that pay their employees the most.Table: Top 7 Industries by Wage Change %
Industry | Wkly Chg | % Change |
---|---|---|
Internet publishing and web search portals | $967 | 106.5% |
Geophysical surveying and mapping services | $1,174 | 59.1% |
Promoters without facilities | $209 | 47.7% |
All other food manufacturing | $187 | 43.7% |
Other nondepository credit intermediation | $536 | 37.4% |
Mortgage and nonmortgage loan brokers | $473 | 36.8% |
Political organizations | $280 | 32.8% |
Table: Top 7 Industries by Wage Change $
Industry | Wkly Chg | % Change |
---|---|---|
Geophysical surveying and mapping services | $1,174 | 59.1% |
Internet publishing and web search portals | $967 | 106.5% |
Other nondepository credit intermediation | $536 | 37.4% |
Mortgage and nonmortgage loan brokers | $473 | 36.8% |
Other technical consulting services | $327 | 16.1% |
Offices of real estate appraisers | $298 | 32.1% |
Ambulance services | $292 | 16.9% |
Company Size
Alaska Businesses by Size
The solopreneur company, has the most businesses in Alaska by far. 59.4% of all businesses in the state have fewer than 5 employees. The 19,373 small businesses in the state represent 96.1% of all private businesses. The national average is 91.2%. (Small businesses have fewer than 50 employees, Solopreneurs employ fewer than 5.) Alaska added 518 businesses in the last year, an increase of 2.6% as compared to the national average of 3.0%.Small businesses are defined as companies with fewer than 50 employees. These small businesses added 527 businesses in the last year, which is an increase of 2.8% as compared to the national average of 3.1%.
Mid-sized businesses are defined as companies with between 50 and 499 employees. These mid-sized businesses declined 10 businesses in the last year, which is a decrease of 1.3% as compared to the national average of 1.3%.
Large businesses are defined as companies with more than 500 employees. These large businesses added 1 businesses in the last year, which is an increase of 3.7% as compared to the national average of 2.1%.
Alaska Employees by Business Size
Alaska added 4,558 employees in the last year, an increase of 2.0% as compared to the national average of 5.2%. Small businesses are defined as companies with fewer than 50 employees. These small businesses added 3,889 businesses in the last year, which is an increase of 25.1% as compared to the national average of 4.2%.Mid-sized businesses are defined as companies with between 50 and 499 employees. Mid-sized businesses lost 1,699 employees in the last year, which is a decrease of 1.9% as compared to the national average of 4.7%.
Large businesses are defined as companies with more than 500 employees. Large businesses added 2,368 employees in the last year, which is an increase of 8.9% as compared to the national average of 9.2%.
Alaska Avg Weekly Wages by Business Size
The smallest companies in Alaska (those with fewer than 5 employees) pay workers 19.4% less than the national average ($842 per week as compared to the national average of $1,005 per week). The largest companies in Alaska (those with more than 1,000 employees) pay 17.4% workers below the national average ($1,630 per week as compared to the national average of $1,913 per week).Average weekly wages in small businesses added $104 per week in the last year, which is an increase of 3.1% as compared to the national average of 3.1%. Employees of mid-sized businesses added $228 in wages per week in the last year, which is an increase of 6.4% as compared to the national average of 1.3%.
Employees of large businesses added $70 of weekly wages in the last year, which is an increase of 2.1% as compared to the national average of 2.1%.
Top Industries for Business and Employment
The table below illustrates the largest industries in the state, by number of businesses:Table: Top 10 Industries by # of Businesses
Industry | # Businesses | % Change |
---|---|---|
Restaurants and other eating places | 1,204 | 1.8% |
Residential building construction | 501 | 8.4% |
Offices of physicians | 425 | 1.9% |
Computer systems design and related services | 375 | 8.7% |
Accounting and bookkeeping services | 333 | 0.9% |
Hotels and motels except casino hotels | 311 | 3.0% |
Commercial building construction | 300 | 2.0% |
All other amusement and recreation industries | 297 | 3.8% |
Offices of dentists | 296 | 0.0% |
Engineering services | 286 | 7.1% |
The table below illustrates the largest industries in the state, by number of employees:
Table: Top 10 Industries by # of Employees
Industry | # Employees | % Change |
---|---|---|
Restaurants and other eating places | 17,499 | 0.2% |
General medical and surgical hospitals | 12,935 | 2.7% |
General merchandise stores including warehouse clubs and supercenters | 9,401 | -2.1% |
Offices of physicians | 8,747 | 2.5% |
Hotels and motels except casino hotels | 6,752 | 6.2% |
Support activities for mining | 6,550 | 6.7% |
Scheduled air transportation | 4,966 | -0.8% |
Seafood product preparation and packaging | 4,619 | 4.9% |
Supermarkets and other grocery stores | 3,914 | -0.8% |
Engineering services | 3,572 | 3.5% |
The table below illustrates the largest industries in the state, by highest wages:
Table: Top 10 Industries by Weekly Wage
Industry | Wkly Wages | % Change |
---|---|---|
Geophysical surveying and mapping services | $3,160 | 59.1% |
Securities brokerage | $3,134 | 0.0% |
Portfolio management | $3,097 | 7.9% |
Couriers and express delivery services | $2,668 | 4.4% |
Computer and software merchant wholesalers | $2,514 | 8.6% |
Building inspection services | $2,395 | 0.0% |
Other technical consulting services | $2,361 | 16.1% |
Electronic instrument manufacturing | $2,212 | 0.0% |
Oil and gas pipeline construction | $2,147 | -3.2% |
Highway street and bridge construction | $2,092 | 4.2% |
Data Sources
About the Writer
This page was created and is maintained by Kurt Tietjen, Founder of Stavera, High Peak Media & HomeGearWorks.com. Kurt is an executive, data scientist and software engineer who holds an MBA in Management Information Systems. In 2010, he partnered with scientists at Northwestern University to launch The Street Wire. This was one of the first mainstream uses of what would become “Narrative Science”, an artificial intelligence platform specializing in natural language generation. You can contact Kurt on LinkedIn here.