U.S. Employment Exploration: Alaska & Hawaii
Our two westernmost states offer a study in contrasts, not only in such obvious aspects as climate and living conditions but also in employment opportunities.
Living Conditions :
Alaska
Alaska’s climate and geography can present challenges to those who view the state primarily as a scenic wonderland and don’t consider other aspects of living and working there.
Good advice is to visit Alaska before you decide to move. Also, research the cost of living, employment and other factors that could affect the success of your transition. According to one report, Alaska ranked 20 th among U.S. states in per capita income, but its unemployment rate was higher than the national average and the growth rate was slow. Cities that were likely to have the most jobs also tended to have the highest cost-of-living figures : Kodiak, Juneau, Fairbanks and Anchorage.
If you currently live in an area with decent streets and high-speed freeways, be aware that the road situation in Alaska is extremely limited. Large areas can be reached only by air and receive summer supplies by sea, which dramatically impacts the cost of living.
Alaska’s long summer days and dark winters can also affect your ability to maintain a healthy physical and emotional balance, particularly if you’re unused to those extremes.
Hawaii
Hawaii consists of multiple islands, which is a consideration if you’re thinking about moving there. It has only two local airlines, one of which filed for Chapter 11 during early 2003. Those airlines provide “bus service” between the major inhabited islands.
If you’re expecting to spend a lot of time just lying on the beach and working when you feel like it, think again! Land is expensive, and apartments at reasonable prices can be scarce. You need a decent salary. A good source for local information is the Chamber of Commerce, www.coc.hawaii.org.
Employment Opportunities :
Alaska
Most job opportunities (including seasonal) occur in the services sector. Some transportation-related growth could occur in the Anchorage area, and teaching positions may be available in rural villages. Poor job targets, due to declining demand or strong competition, include the oil-and-gas industry, state-and-local government, federal government, mining, urban schools, timber and fishing.
“Finding Work in Alaska” at www.labor.state.ak.us advises jobseekers to have a round-trip ticket and enough resources to last until they find work ($2,000 for temporary and $3,000 for permanent).
Hawaii
Peter Hill, of Distinctive Resumes, notes that the “old boy” network is a huge factor and newcomers must make friends quickly if they expect to land a good job. Businesses are more likely to hire local people.
Hawaii’s Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism expected the gross state product to grow by 2.1 percent in 2003 (up from 1.2 percent in 2002), and employment figures tend to follow that number.
An article on the Workforce Explorer site, www.hiwi.org, indicated that Hawaii’s projected statewide employment from 2001 to 2003 would exhibit a slight overall decrease, with a gain in some service-producing industries partially offsetting losses in others, particularly, transportation, communication and utilities. Some growth was expected in education, training and library occupations and in computer and mathematical occupations. However, the increase in actual number of positions wasn’t particularly large.
According to an April 2003 article in the Honolulu Advertiser, Hawaii was experiencing a fairly flat economy. Its jobless rate dropped to three percent in March 2003, the lowest in over 12 years.
Information Resources:
Online publications can provide extensive information about both Alaska and Hawaii. For example, you can find links to local newspapers in each state at www.media-news.com. Newspaper content includes searchable classified advertising sections.
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