Alaska economy

A sheep waits in the barn at Lancashire Farm on Thursday, May 3, 2018 in Soldotna, Alaska. The farm, established in 1948, raises sheep both for wool and for meat. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)

Interest in farm-raised meat grows

For those who want farm-raised meat, it can be a challenge to get unless they happen to own enough property for a pasture or barn.… Continue reading

 

Peninsula sheds 234 jobs from 2017–2018

The Kenai Peninsula lost about 234 jobs in the third quarter of the fiscal year compared to the year before it. Between January 2017 and… Continue reading

 

State budget battles may stall amid election year

Three years into the Legislature’s budget battles, a comprehensive fix to the state’s fiscal problems doesn’t seem likely to come down this year. Though oil… Continue reading

 

Kenai Peninsula loses jobs again in 2017

Employment continued to drop in the Kenai Peninsula Borough through 2017, though at a slower rate than in 2016. The borough lost 271 jobs over… Continue reading

Borough Mayor Charlie Pierce speaks to the attendees at a joint luncheon of the Kenai and Soldotna chambers of commerce Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2018 in Kenai, Alaska. Pierce says he plans to fix the borough’s approximately $4 million deficit in the fiscal year 2019 budget without raising taxes or implementing new ones. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)

Borough mayor pitches budget plan

Editor's note: This article has been updated to clarify the borough's education spending and include a statement from Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Superintendent Sean… Continue reading

Borough Mayor Charlie Pierce speaks to the attendees at a joint luncheon of the Kenai and Soldotna chambers of commerce Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2018 in Kenai, Alaska. Pierce says he plans to fix the borough’s approximately $4 million deficit in the fiscal year 2019 budget without raising taxes or implementing new ones. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)
Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) speaks to constituents after addressing the members of three Kenai- and Soldotna-area Rotary Clubs at Froso’s Restaurant on Monday in Soldotna. Sullivan, entering his third year as U.S. Senator for the state, said he found reasons to be optimistic about federal actions regarding the state in 2018. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)

Senator optimistic for Alaska’s outlook in 2018

Alaska’s junior U.S. senator is heading into 2018 with a sense of optimism about the state’s future. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), now entering his third… Continue reading

Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) speaks to constituents after addressing the members of three Kenai- and Soldotna-area Rotary Clubs at Froso’s Restaurant on Monday in Soldotna. Sullivan, entering his third year as U.S. Senator for the state, said he found reasons to be optimistic about federal actions regarding the state in 2018. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)
Mike Navarre, commissioner of the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development, speaks about the need for a stable fiscal plan for the state to the attendees at the Kenai Peninsula Economic Development District’s Industry Outlook Forum on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)

In new state role, Navarre’s message about fiscal plan remains the same

The commissioner of Alaska’s Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development is making rounds of the state, advocating for a stable fiscal plan. Mike Navarre,… Continue reading

Mike Navarre, commissioner of the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development, speaks about the need for a stable fiscal plan for the state to the attendees at the Kenai Peninsula Economic Development District’s Industry Outlook Forum on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)
Alyssa Rodrigues, the development manager within the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development’s Division of Economic Development, speaks to the attendees at the Kenai Peninsula Economic Development District’s Industry Outlook Forum on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2017 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)

Peninsula job losses continue into retail, tourism sectors

The Kenai Peninsula lost jobs and saw reduced wages in 2016 and the first two quarters of 2017, a continuation of the ongoing statewide recession.… Continue reading

Alyssa Rodrigues, the development manager within the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development’s Division of Economic Development, speaks to the attendees at the Kenai Peninsula Economic Development District’s Industry Outlook Forum on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2017 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)

Industry Outlook Forum looks to diversity

Editor's note: This article has been updated to correct Alaska Oil and Gas Association President and CEO Kara Moriarty's title. Next month’s Industry Outlook Forum… Continue reading

Oiling the financial gears

Alaska’s economic dependence on oil and gas extraction is quantified in a report that the McDowell Group, an Anchorage-based economic consulting firm, does every three… Continue reading