3.0 Affected Environment - Knik Arm Bridge and Toll Authority

Knik Arm Crossing DraftFinal EIS
Affected Environment
3.4.1 Labor Force and Unemployment
The size of an area’s labor force provides a measure of potential employment and economic
activity. The labor force is defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as the number of persons
16 years of age or older, 16 being the age at which an individual is legally able to work.
Employment levels are based on the number of people in the labor force that are working,
while unemployment levels are based on the number of people in the labor force who are
actively looking for work. The unemployment rate in Anchorage has always been
considerably lower than the statewide Alaska and the Mat-Su averages.
Table 3-9 shows the employment status of residents 16 years and over, including the
percentage in the labor force, in the civilian labor force, or in the armed forces; the
percentage unemployed; and the percentage not in the labor force.
Table 3-9. Employment status of population 16 years old and over
in the affected area, 2000
Anchorage
Mat-Su
Anchorage total
Government Hill
(Census Tract 5)
Mat-Su total
Mat-Su Study
Area
Point
MacKenzie
Palmer
Places
Wasilla
Houston
Population 16 years old
and over
192,782 1,467 42,705 34,201 59 3,248 3,893 881
In labor force (%) 74.4 66.3 66.1 67 49.2 64.3 70.8 62.3
In civilian labor force (%) 69.9 61.9 65.2 66.1 49.2 62.8 70.6 62.3
In armed forces (%) 4.4 4.4 0.9 0.9 0 1.6 0.2 0
Not in labor force (%) 25.6 33.7 33.9 33 50.8 35.7 29.2 37.7
Employed (%) 65.2 59 58.5 59.5 49.2 56 62.8 51.3
Unemployed (%) 34.8 41 41.5 40.5 50.8 44 37.2 48.7
Unemployment rate a (%) 6.8 4.6 10.3 9.9 4.3 10.8 11.2 17.7
Source: U.S. Census Bureau 2005
a
The unemployment rate is based on the number of people in the civilian labor force.
There is large seasonal variation in the unemployment rate in Anchorage because of the
seasonal nature of many economic activities, particularly commercial fishing, mining, and
tourism. The unemployment rate is typically highest in January/February and lowest in
July/August. In 2005, for example, the unemployment rate in Anchorage was 5.9 percent in
January and 4.9 percent in August (ADOLWD 2005b).
ISER has prepared a number of population and employment forecasts for Anchorage and
other regions of Alaska over the past 20 years. The projections are based on a set of
assumptions about future economic conditions at the national, state, and local levels. The
assumptions are the primary drivers in arriving at population and employment forecasts. The
2020 employment projections from the last six reports it has prepared are shown in
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