Alaska’s total wages up slightly

Newly released data for the first quarter of the year show that wages increased by 0.6 percent, or $25 million overall, compared to the same quarter a year ago.

The wage growth is noteworthy because total wage declined for the previous four quarters, according to the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Wages are not adjusted for inflation.

Private sector wages grew by 0.4 percent overall.

Data showed that wages in oil and gas were down by 14 percent and construction wages fell 10.8 percent. Health care wages were up 11.4 percent, and wages in the transportation and warehousing industries grew by 4.9 percent.

Wages for federal employees were up by 1.5 percent and wages for local government, including public schools and tribal government, grew 4.4 percent. State government wages fell by 3.5 percent.

Wages also increased in 22 of 29 boroughs and census areas, including Anchorage, 0.4 percent; Fairbanks, 3.3 percent, and Juneau, 0.6 percent.

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Seafood processing drove wage increases in the Aleutians East Borough up 13.4 percent and Lake and Peninsula Borough up 20.8 percent. Bethel’s 9.5 percent wage increase was mainly due to growth in health care jobs and local government.

While most areas’ wages grew moderately over the year, wages in the North Slope Borough fell by 9.8 percent, propelled by reduced employment in the oil and gas industry. Losses in mining and construction resulted in wage losses of 2.7 percent in the Southeast Fairbanks census area.

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