Alaska Employment: 328,800 Jobs Keeps April Unemployment Steady at 4.6 Percent – Alaska Business Magazine

The total number of nonfarm jobs in April was 328,800, up by more than 4,000 from March and an increase of 9,000 compared to April 2023. Jobs added in the past year represent 2.8 percent growth. Private sector employment grew by 3.2 percent since last year, outpacing government job growth of 1.6 percent.

The information services sector held steady month to month, but the drop from 4,600 jobs a year ago to 4,400 in April represents a 4.3 percent contraction. The retail sector was the only other industry to lose jobs year-over-year, from 34,900 to 34,700, yet retail employment was up by 200 in April compared to March.

The construction sector saw the biggest percentage gain, with 17 percent more jobs in April than the year before, climbing from 15,300 to 17,900. Those 2,600 new jobs outpaced strong growth in the healthcare and transportation, warehousing, and utilities sectors.