click on the photo to read the full story
Alaska's job count was down 13.1% last month compared to April 2019, according to new numbers released by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. That equates to a loss of roughly 42,200 jobs, which the state says is due to disruptions caused by COVID-19.
National numbers released this week show more than 40-million Americans are out of work, which translates to an unemployment rate of 14.7%. Alaska's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is 12.9%, lower than the national number, but up from 5.2% in March.
The state says disruptions due to COVID-19 affected every major industry in Alaska, but leisure and hospitality took the biggest hit.