Alaska

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.

New research from Bob Loeffler and Brett Watson examines the economic potential for Alaska's mineral industry. During an online overview of their research, Loeffler and Watson discussed Alaska's mining status in 2019, and then explained how they used an if-then framework to look ahead 20 years, rather than making predictions about specific projects.

Register for a March 14 noontime webinar on the Economic Potential of Alaska's Mineral Industry, presented by Bob Loeffler and Brett Waston, ISER researchers.

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.

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.

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.

Join us for a lunchtime webinar on April 21, 2021 from 12-1pm. Associate Professor of Economics Mouhcine Guettabi will discuss the state of the economy, how the stimulus affects his forecast, and will offer a few notes on the budget.

A new analysis of Alaska’s K-12 Capital Spending shows that the state is not spending what is needed to maintain, renovate, and renew its K-12 school buildings. The study, authored by ISER research professor Bob Loeffler, reviews historical K-12 capital spending from state and local sources from Fiscal Year 2000 through Fiscal Year 2020.  It details the funding sources Alaska uses for large school maintenance, renovation, and construction projects for both municipal and rural areas. The study illustrates the decline in spending after the current budget crisis hit in 2014, and shows how Alaska’s K-12 capital spending falls short of recommended industry guidelines.

Faculty from UAA, including ISER’s Katie Cueva, have been working since the spring to describe the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on individual’s behavior, inform policy decisions, and predict case counts and contact tracing workforce needs.

Ever wondered if you are the only one who goes to the Alaska State Fair for some amazing Fair food? According to findings from the 2018 Alaska State Fair Exit survey, 67% of fairgoers surveyed said their main reason for attending the Fair was for the food! Volunteers and staff of the Alaska State Fair surveyed 398 fairgoers during the 2018 Alaska State Fair; the survey instrument was based on one administered at the 2013 Fair by McDowell Group. Alaska State Fair, Inc. management asked ISER to assist in using the data they collected to prepare a 2018 Exit Survey report and to compare findings to past years (2005, 2010, and 2013).