Economy / Fiscal Policy

The Institute of Social and Economic Research’s Professor Kevin Berry recently discussed the coronavirus with both Alaska Public Media and KTUU. He says the oil, fishing, tourism and cargo industries may be especially susceptible to the effects of the outbreak. 

“These things will probably slow down the economy because, within China, people are being told to stay inside, not move around,” Berry commented. “So we can expect the economy as a whole to slow down because of this. There’s going to be an impact on things like oil.” 

Two emeriti ISER directors, Scott Goldsmith and Gunnar Knapp, debated how best to manage the Permanent Fund at a Commonwealth North lunch at the Petroleum Club on November 8, 2019. The specific resolution for the debate was: “Resolved:  The Alaska Constitution should be amended to specify that the Permanent Fund should be managed as an endowment, with a limited and sustainable annual distribution.” Under the format of the debate, a coin was flipped at the beginning of the debate to determine which side each debater would defend.

Not surprisingly, Alaskans remain keenly interested in both the short-term and long-term prospects for the Alaska economy.  ISER continues to give requested presentations on the Alaska economy and the state budget to civic groups.  On October 18, Mouhcine Guettabi and Ralph Townsend participated in a panel entitled “Alaska’s Economy: Facts, Fiction and Figures” at the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) Convention in Fairbanks.

Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) Associate Professor of Economics, Dr. Mouhcine Guettabi, recently released his report, A simple decomposition of Alaska’s labor force participation rate, which details his research surrounding the steady decline in the percentage of people working or seeking employment over the past two decades in Alaska and the implications of that downslide.

Director of the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) and Professor of Economics, Dr. Ralph Townsend, will participate in an upcoming debate with ISER’s former director and Professor Emeritus of Economics, Dr. Gunnar Knapp. Moderated by another former director of ISER and Professor Emeritus of Economics, Dr. Scott Goldsmith, the discussion will focus on whether the Permanent Fund Dividend should be constitutionally structured as an endowment and what that would mean to Alaska’s finances and dividend program going forward.