Cook Inlet CHARR

06/03/2023

“Leisure and hospitality has the biggest shortage of workers, down 349,000 people, or 2% of the total pre-pandemic workforce.”

New York CNN —Economists have been closely watching monthly US job reports for signs of cracks in the labor market that could offer clues as to when a recession could start. But their predictions have been tested month after month with stronger-than-expected gains.Last month’s jobs report was no...

02/11/2023

Year-round tourism is growing, cruise ships will be fuller this summer, and independent travelers are on track to return in droves, Visit Anchorage said.

08/04/2022

The Anchorage Economic Development Corporation releases their 3 year economic outlook for Anchorage.

07/30/2022

07/11/2022

"Downtown Anchorage is the historic heart of the city, a center of commerce, a significant source of property tax revenue, and an entry point for tourists. The ambassadors are its guardians, a group of 21 people in neon vests and yellow jackets who take care of the neighborhood on behalf of the businesses. They give directions, remove snow, clean public restrooms, pick up trash, and hose away all manner of bodily fluids. Some spend so much time interacting with the unhoused population, the regulars greet them with a fist bump. The jobs start at $16 an hour with benefits. The last few years, their work is increasingly complex.

Even before the pandemic, there were signs of decline downtown, in particular in its retail sector. Nordstrom closed in fall 2019, which was a significant blow. Lots of lands sat vacant, awaiting redevelopment. (At present, there is more open land downtown being used as parking lots than in the 1980s, according to the Anchorage Economic Development Corp.) The number of people living in the city’s core, a key part of a healthy downtown, dwindled to about 1,000. Problems associated with homelessness were a constant strain, though the city was poised to open several new shelters and treatment centers. Tourism remained a bright spot."

After closure of the city’s emergency mass shelter recently, Anchorage Downtown Partnership employees are finding more people sleeping outdoors.

06/29/2022

Recently signed legislation in Alaska promises to upend the alcohol industry and rework the state's licensing structure.

06/21/2022

With the sun shining on the Anchorage Golf Course, Gov. Mike Dunleavy signed Senate Bill 9 into law last Thursday, which will implement sweeping changes to Alaska’s alcohol statutes.

06/19/2022

Alaska on Thursday overhauled its alcohol laws, the largest reform in 40 years. With a stroke of Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s pen and under the eager gazes of nearly 20 legislators, Senate Bill 9, the legislation sponsored by retiring Senate President Peter Micciche, became law at O’Malleys on the Green...

06/19/2022

“Over the past several weeks, households had already cut back on big-ticket purchase because of soaring prices, but in a worrisome twist, data suggests consumers are also beginning to tap the brakes on dining out, vacation plans and even routine services like manicures, hair cuts and home-cleaning appointments. Business owners around the country say rising prices, dwindling savings and concerns of a souring economy are taking a toll on household spending decisions.”

“Restaurant dining data from the reservation platform Open Table, meanwhile, shows that the number of people eating at restaurants fell 11% in the week ending June 16, compared with the same week in 2019.”

Over the past several weeks, households had already cut back on big-ticket purchase because of soaring prices, but in a worrisome twist, data suggests consumers are also beginning to tap the brakes on dining out, vacation plans and hair cuts.

05/17/2022

Brewery and distillery taprooms will be able to stay open until 9 p.m.

04/21/2022

"Gov. Mike Dunleavy has named Joan Wilson to be the head of the Alaska Alcohol and Ma*****na Control Office.

For the past four years, Wilson has been AMCO’s attorney, advising both the agency and the state’s alcohol and ma*****na boards on a variety of legal issues.

Wilson will replace the current director, Glen Klinkhart, who is leaving the agency for a position with the Alaska Department of Revenue. She will be AMCO’s third director since 2019 and its fifth since Alaska legalized recreational ma*****na consumption in 2014. (The latter figure includes an interim director who served for six months.)"

Joan Wilson will be the third person since 2019 to lead the state’s Alcohol and Ma*****na Control Office.