Data Insights Award Nomination Alaska

Alabama Data Insights Award Nomination: Alaska Economic Trends Magazine

Contact Information of Individual Submitting Nomination

Nominator: Hannah Lager

Agency Name: Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development

Alaska Economic Trends Magazine

The AKDOLWD Labor Market Information section researches, develops, produces, and distributes a monthly magazine titled "Alaska Economic Trends", which provides in-depth articles and analysis on selected topics relevant to the public, industry, governmental organizations, and the private sector. Each issue helps better inform the reader on an aspect of Alaska’s economy using understandable language, appropriate charts, and reliable data. The monthly magazine is an impactful communication tool with readers from inside state government, throughout Alaska’s industries, and the public, and is nominated under the "High Impact Products and Services" criteria.

Articles in the magazine use data from state-specific data sources, including occupational data in wage records and Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend applications, to provide insights into specific aspects of Alaska’s economy. Recent articles have included analysis of gender and compensation ("The Gender Wage Gap", September 2019), and Alaska’s labor force participation (“Alaska’s Labor Force Participation Decline”, October 2019), among others.

Provide a statement of results, accomplishments, impacts, and any other appropriate information that demonstrates why the nominee's efforts described in question #1 were an exceptional contribution. Response (400 word limit).

Alaska is one of only a few states that produce monthly publications on state economic trends that include articles or other comprehensive analysis. Many states regularly publish data snapshots by county or regional area; however, that approach is not as impactful in Alaska given the state’s unique local government structures and the large number of communities that are geographically isolated and located outside of a county or municipality. Alaska Economic Trends includes articles of statewide relevance to ensure that readers throughout the state benefit from the published information. The magazine regularly includes comprehensive, original articles on seasonally-relevant topics to help expand Alaskans’ knowledge of economic impacts and activities in the state. The magazine has over 6,000 monthly subscriptions, as well as 600 print subscriptions – in a state with just over 700,000 residents. In 2019, the online publication was viewed over 100,0000 times.

Timely publication of Alaska Economic Trends provides data and analysis to support the department’s mission, priorities, and initiatives, which in turn encourages alignment and integration of services and facilitates greater accessibility to programs and funding. Alaska Economic Trends’ readership throughout the state demonstrates the high-value nature of the publication.

Provide a brief description of the nominee's significant contributions in any one of the other two areas listed under "criteria" that you did not focus on above. Response (400 word limit).

Alaska Economic Trends magazine meets the criteria for both the Capacity Building and National Impact categories. Articles in Alaska Economic Trends are focused on Alaska-specific topics and industries, with some regularly-occurring articles and updates being published on an annual schedule. For example, each November the magazine focuses on a topic relevant to the seafood industry in Alaska. The reliable, regular reporting of data in the magazines serves as a resource to Alaska’s workers and industry so they can apply labor data to their operational activity.

Alaska Economic Trends also demonstrates the AKDOLWD’s commitment to providing reliable, consistent, and trustworthy data and professional analysis in an easy -to-read, easy-to-share format. Alaska Economic Trends is a clear and concise publication format that could be replicated in other states to improve stakeholder knowledge of state economic data and trends.