New survey shows some signs labor shortage in Anchorage is easing

Downtown Anchorage photographed from nan Tony Knowles Coastal Trail connected Saturday, August 19, 2023. (Dev Hardikar/Alaska Public Media)

The Anchorage Economic Development Corporation released a study successful May analyzing nan jobs, skills, acquisition levels and certifications astir sought aft by employers successful Anchorage. 

AEDC president and CEO Jenna Wright said Anchorage still has much occupation openings than group that tin return them, mostly owed to outmigration. But she said location are less jobs being posted per unemployed personification than location were successful 2023, a motion that nan occupation marketplace is opening to equilibrium out. 

“The ratio of jobs to unemployed persons is really coming down, showing that there’s a small spot much of an equilibrium that we’re getting to successful nan wide occupation market,” Wright said.

The study recovered complete 17,000 unsocial occupation postings led by nan State of Alaska, Providence and nan Anchorage School District. More than 2,600 employers posted occupation openings and a median net of $59,000.

The Real-Time Jobs Intelligence Report covers occupation postings progressive betwixt January and March of this year. The study said nan mostly of occupation postings were hiring applicants pinch a precocious schoolhouse certificate aliases equivalent, followed by a bachelor’s degree.

Wright said nan only sectors that haven’t afloat rebounded from nan coronavirus pandemic are unit and financial services.

“I deliberation successful some of those cases, those are industries that are really going done automation correct now,” she said. “That doesn’t mean folks don’t request to spell successful [person] to return attraction of immoderate things- but wide automation is affecting those industries.”

Registered nurses person topped nan database twelvemonth aft twelvemonth for occupation openings. Wright said there’s ever a request for nurses because Anchorage acts arsenic a location hub for galore aesculapian services and serves a precocious measurement of patients. 

Also connected nan database of apical occupation openings are administrative adjunct and customer work representatives. Wright said these positions are needed successful galore organizations, truthful they’re ever successful precocious demand. But, she said those jobs mostly don’t salary well.

Wright said it’s becoming much communal for employers to activity certifications that aren’t a accepted assemblage degree. Across nan authorities she said employers are progressively looking for workers successful nan trades, for illustration carpenters and plumbers.

“Those are incredibly precocious paying positions. In immoderate cases, you tin get an ‘entry level job’ for six figures,” said Wright. “It’s a really lucrative situation for Alaska and encourages labor to beryllium successful correct now.”

Wright said universally, employers look for beardown workplace skills which includes problem solving, productivity and punctuality.