These articles were written as a public service as part of an effort to educate Alaskans on the financial matters facing our State.
Whenever I travel to the Lower 48, I usually get asked this question: “Do you really get paid just for living in Alaska?” My answer typically sounds like an economist trying to answer a politician’s question. There’s a lot to unpack for me to give you a full answer, but the bottom line is “kinda.”[…]
You probably didn’t notice, but I haven’t written on here for nearly two years. The reason is simple: I was working in Alaska’s Capitol. Although I didn’t win my election for the State House in 2020, I still had the chance to work in the legislature. Between the potential problem of saying something on the[…]
As Alaska continues to work through falling oil revenues, changes to its Permanent Fund appear inevitable. There are currently six resolutions up for debate that would adjust the way the Permanent Fund functions. This article takes a high-level look at the differences and similarities between those proposals. The Current Language Before we look at what[…]
Governor Dunleavy released his proposal for the Fiscal Year 2022 budget last week. It will serve as the starting place for the legislature as they begin work in January. According to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) documents, the proposal includes $294.6 million in reductions. Unfortunately, people often speak first and sort out the[…]
November 2020 was a month of resolving uncertainty and moving back toward normal. Alaska’s economy still faces significant headwinds, but recovery is in sight. Here are some of the highlights. Alaska’s labor market improved, but is still hurting The Alaska Department of Labor reports that Alaska’s official unemployment rate is back to pre-pandemic levels. The[…]
The government’s actions have a major impact on our economy. The decisions on how much to spend, tax, and distribute to the people all ripple through the rest of the system. Now that the election results are in, we can start to speculate on what the legislature will look like during the 2021 session. Senate[…]
The Covid-19 pandemic is increasing around the world again as the cold weather season begins — just as every predictive model in the world suggested it would. Calls for aggressive actions to combat the virus are wreaking havoc on the markets. Fears of another round of shut-downs bring back bad memories of negative oil prices[…]
Talking about the Permanent Fund can be confusing. There are a lot of moving pieces. But, the illustration above shows how all of those pieces connect. The rest of this article will try to break the key points down a little more clearly. There is a rich history around the fund, its intent, and its[…]
With the first quarter of fiscal year 2021 in the books, there is still a lot of uncertainty in the air. But, a sense of optimism remains. The economy is slowly recovering, oil price stayed flat, production is looking better, and investment earnings are strong. Here are a few highlight from September 2020. The economy[…]
The economy is slowly starting to recover, oil prices hit a plateau, and North Slope production is back to full rate.
Alaska by the Numbers – August 2020
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