Employment rose 1.3 percent in Alaska’s only large county, Anchorage Municipality, from December 2023 to December 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Chris Rosenlund noted that the rate of employment growth in Anchorage ranked 69^th among the 363 largest U.S. counties with published data. (See table 1.)

Employment in Anchorage stood at 146,800 in December 2024, accounting for 46.2 percent of total employment in Alaska. Nationwide, the 369 largest counties comprise 73.3 percent of total covered employment in the United States. (Large counties and county equivalents are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2023.)

The average weekly wage in Anchorage increased 4.4 percent over the year to $1,479. The national average was $1,507, up 5.0 percent over the year. Anchorage’s weekly wage ranked 100^th nationally, and the percent change ranked 168^th among the largest U.S. counties.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 29 small county equivalents in Alaska, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2023. (See table 2.)These smaller county equivalents include 17 boroughs, 11 census areas, and 1 municipality. Wage levels for 23 of the 29 smaller counties were below the national average. North Slope Borough reported the highest average weekly wage ($2,442). Kusilvak Census Area reported the lowest average weekly wage ($756) in the state.

Among all 30 Alaska counties, 6 reported average weekly wages of less than $1,100, 11 registered wages from $1,100 to $1,299, 6 had wages from $1,300 to $1,499, and 7 had average weekly wages of $1,500 or higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)