Unemployment in the Aleutians West Census Area was down in February. The jobless rate dropped from 7.6 percent to 5 percent, the lowest in the state. Many of the jobs gained were temporary seafood-processing jobs, pegged to the busy pollock and crab seasons.

While Unalaska and the rest of the Aleutians West Census area traditionally has one of the lower unemployment rates in the state, the Southwest region has the worst jobs figures overall. Unemployment in the whole region is estimated at nearly 13 percent, brought up by the Wade-Hampton Census area, where one in five people is without a job.

According to the Alaska Department of Labor, the state unemployment rate also went down slightly, dropping from 7.2 percent to 7.1 percent. The national unemployment rate continues to hover around 8.3 percent.