Unalaska, AK – The Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development has released its April job numbers, and the unemployment rate in Southwest Alaska is on the rise even though other areas of the state are recovering jobs.

In the Southwest region, the unemployment rate jumped from 12.5% in March to 13.6% in April.

In the Aleutians West Census Area, which includes Unalaska, the picture is a little bit different. The Aleutians West Census Area traditionally has one of the lower unemployment rates in the state. In March, the unemployment rate was the lowest in Alaska, at 3.8%. Now it's gone up to 7.5%. However, that's not seasonally adjusted. According to the department, this increase in unemployment is a "a typical seasonal occurrence as some of its ground fisheries and crabbing seasons wind down."

Statewide, the unemployment rate dropped from 8.2% to 7.7%.