Alaska jobs up from prior year, trail October 2019 levels

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - The state labor department reports job numbers in Alaska were up last month compared to October 2020 but still below pre-pandemic levels for most industries. The report released Friday says Alaska had about 8,500 more jobs in October compared to a year earlier but about 15,800 fewer than in October 2019. Neal Fried is an economist with the department. He says recovery takes a while. He says Alaska had not fully recovered from the effects of a drawn-out recession when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. A fall in oil prices contributed to a recession that economists say the state experienced between 2015 and 2018.

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