State Labor Department officials have raised the per diem rate for covered workers on remote public construction projects to $100, effective April 11, 2019, up from the $75 a day rate in place for the past 13 years.
“Raising the per diem rate is a big step in the right direction,” said Labor Commissioner Heidi Drygas. “A higher daily minimum will help ensure that workers keep the wages they earn while working far from home.”
A federal law back in 2005 set a $75 minimum for covered workers on federally funded public construction projects and Alaska officials then adopted the requirement for state and local projects.
The per diem rate applies to remote projects awarded by the state or by a local government. Regulations define “remote” as inaccessible by road or more than 65 miles from the international airports in Anchorage, Fairbanks or Juneau.
Per diem is an alternative to the requirement that contractors provide workers with room and board on such projects, but only some workers are eligible for per diem in lieu. Learn more at http://labor.alaska.gov/lss/whhome.htm.
