Economy / Fiscal Policy

The 2022 Arctic Encounter Symposium in Anchorage brought together researchers and leaders from government, the business community, the University of Alaska, and ambassadors of Arctic nations. ISER Director Diane Hirshberg served on a panel related to workforce development.

Dr. Ralph Townsend presented information about Alaska's demographics and highlighted an ongoing downward trend in labor force participation. How long has this been happening, is Alaska different from the rest of the U.S., and what can the state do to address it?

All of the US is seeing significant demographic changes that will shape the workforce over the next 20 years, but these changes are especially significant in Alaska. Moreover, Alaska's population is strongly influenced by migration to and from Alaska. The shortage of workers during the Pandemic Recession may be in part a "tipping point" effect, where declines in the workforce that would have happened over several years were accelerated by COVID-19 changes. A February 2022 presentation by Dr. Ralph Townsend examined the implications of several demographic changes for the future of Alaska's workforce.

In a January 26 presentation, Dr. Mouhcine Guettabi describes the likely path of Alaska's economy in 2022, and includes a look back on the pandemic and pre-pandemic factors that have impacted the state's growth.

Join ISER on January 26, 2022 for a lunchtime presentation with insights from economist Mouhcine Guettabi. He will give an overview of how the economy has changed since the onset of the pandemic and a look at the opportunities and challenges ahead.

ISER presents a webinar event, "Permanent Fund Dividend: Past, Present and Future," on Wednesday, December 1 from 5:30-7 pm. Please join us for a look at the origins of the PFD program, how it has evolved over time, how it affects Alaskans today and how it may evolve in the future—and how ISER has studied these questions over the past 40 years. Panelists include former ISER directors Scott Goldsmith, Gunnar Knapp and Fran Ulmer, and current ISER researchers Matt Berman, Brett Watson and Mary Kopriva. UA President Pat Pitney will moderate.

Panelists for ISER's webinar on the Permanent Fund: Past, Present and Future

The Institute of Social and Economic Research is hosting virtual presentations by three candidates for its Director position. Each will address “The ISER Director’s Role in Addressing Alaska’s Key Policy Issues Over the Next Decade.” Members of the UAA community and the public are welcome to attend, and should register in advance.

In recent years, ISER economists have studied various impacts the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend has on the state and its residents. Studies have looked at poverty, income inequality, birth rates, crime rates and more. Current studies are looking into the effects of the PFD on mortgage delinquency and maternal health.