A student exits the University of Alaska Anchorage consortium library on Friday. Alaska now has had 12 years of net outmigration, with more people leaving the state than moving in, contrary to past history when Alaska drew large numbers of young adults. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
As Alaskans from different organizations convened at the University of Alaska Anchorage to brainstorm ways to reverse the state’s continuing population outmigration, a leading state economist delivered some bad news.
Dan Robinson, research chief at the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, revealed that the latest data shows that Alaska has now had 12 consecutive years with more residents leaving than arriving.
That is unprecedented, he said.
“This is not normal for us. It hasn’t happened before,” Robinson said on Thursday at the start of the two-day meeting.
The longest prior streak was four years, he said.
Robinson spoke at a meeting organized by Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, UAA’s Institute of Social and Economic Research, the Alaska Federation of Natives and the First Alaskans Institute