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
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