Alaska's unemployment rate rose in October to 8.9 percent, but remained significantly below the U.S. rate of 10.2 percent, according to the latest Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development figures released recently.

During October, Alaska lost 16,000 jobs as seasonal industries in construction, seafood processing and tourism took their usual decline.

Alaska's employment level of 337,000 workers was off 3,000 compared to the same time last year.

"Although 2009 will almost certainly end the state's 21-year streak of job growth, Alaska's job losses remain significantly less severe than the nation's," said Dan Robinson, state labor economist.

Health care, which was up 1,400 jobs over the year, continued to be one of very few industries showing growth. Government employment also was up by 900 over the year, according to the state.

Unemployment throughout the Kenai Peninsula Borough increased to 11 percent in October; it had been 9.4 percent in September and was just 7.9 percent in October of 2008.

The workforce in the borough was numbered at 26,005, down from 26,625 in September, but more than the 25,468 reported in October of 2008.

At 5.9 percent, the North Slope Borough reported the lowest jobless rate in the state. Other areas with rates below the statewide average included Juneau at 6.5 percent; the Yakutat Borough at 6.7 percent; Anchorage at 6.9 percent; the Lake and Peninsula Borough at 7.2 percent, Sitka at 7.3 percent; the Fairbanks North Star Borough at 7.4 percent; and the Kodiak Island Borough and the Ketchikan Gateway Borough both at 7.9 percent,

The highest unemployment rate in the state was 20.3 percent in the Wade Hampton Census Area in Southwest. That was followed by the Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon Census Area in Southeast, which had an unemployment rate of 18.7 percent.