Abbey Collins, Alaska Public Media - Anchorage
LISTEN: What another summer without cruise ships could mean for Alaska’s economy
Alaska lost 27,000 jobs in 2020. And, while the whole state suffered, regions that depend on tourism were hit especially hard.
To face 2020 head-on, one Anchorage tour company branched out
In the last year, employees at Salmon Berry Tours delivered groceries, plants and Christmas Trees. They also took on a new role in Hatcher Pass.
Three killed in avalanche on Bear Mountain near Chugiak while ascending a technical route
Alaska State Troopers are warning of avalanche danger around Bear Mountain in Chugiak, after three people were reportedly killed in a slide there this week.
Alaska Permanent Fund Corp, with millions of dollars in GameStop shares, eyes stock surge warily
CEO Angela Rodell says the organization recently held slightly over 168,000 shares in GameStop, but that number changes daily.
With modest job growth expected in 2021, Anchorage’s economic leaders show cautious optimism
The forecast predicts Anchorage will add 4,000 jobs this year.
Anchorage restaurant grants to feed hungry create a ‘win-win-win’
The Restaurant Rescue program, aims to help keep restaurants busy, while feeding residents in need.
After a year of dramatic lows, Alaska sees modest climb in oil prices
Right now, West Texas Intermediate, Brent and Alaska North Slope Crude are all selling for over $50 per barrel.
LISTEN: Alaska jobs expected to slowly return in 2021
Alaska is expected to add jobs in 2021, but at a slow pace.
As COVID-19 canceled live events, Anchorage residents went analog
"They want comics to read or graphic novels or they want to play a role playing game just to get away from the real world for a few hours."
LISTEN: Looking back on a year of historic job loss in Alaska
Economists were expecting to see modest job growth in 2020. Instead, the state lost around 27,000 jobs.
Without tourists or in-person markets, 2020 has been hard on Alaska artists
Artists in the state are trying to adapt by moving business online. But some artists say they’re making a fraction of normal sales.
For Anchorage businesses, going online pays off during COVID-19
"The number of web orders we’re receiving right now is at least ten times the volume we have received typically in the past," Janet Gregory, who owns Over the Rainbow Toys, said about their new online platform.
LISTEN: Alaska’s small businesses face financial winter as pandemic drags on
Jon Bittner, with the Alaska Small Business Development Center, says without a second round of relief money, businesses will continue to suffer.
With winter storms on the way, avalanche forecasters in Southcentral warn of dangerous conditions through the weekend
Forecasters are warning of dangerous avalanche conditions in the mountains around Southcentral Alaska.
For pandemic Thanksgiving, a growing group of Anchorage restaurants are cooking
Amid months of uncertainty and pandemic disruptions, Anchorage restaurant owners say demand for Thanksgiving dinner to-go has been an unexpected boost for business.
After a summer of pandemic disruptions and poor salmon runs, Alaska fishermen await more federal relief money
Government relief money has helped fishermen, and the state is finalizing a plan for how to spend another $50 million in federal dollars for the industry.
Alaska is down thousands of oil and gas jobs, as the pandemic continues to squash demand
Data from the Alaska Department of Labor show an estimated 6,900 jobs in the state’s oil and gas industry in September. That’s down from 10,000 in January.
Experts say Alaskans’ willingness to mask up is key to rebuilding the economy
Until the virus is under control, experts say the state’s economy will continue to suffer.
Alaska’s Labor department says unemployed Alaskans will finally begin seeing additional funds Friday
The program promises to pay some unemployed Alaskans an extra $300 per week for up to six weeks.
How the COVID-19 pandemic has shaped the first year of business for one Anchorage store
The owners say in this first year, they've sold enough shampoo and conditioner to keep nearly 700 plastic bottles out of the landfill, but their business looks a lot different than they thought it would, thanks to the pandemic.