Legislature(2025 - 2026)BARNES 124
01/28/2026 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Presentation: the Role of Seniors & Youth in Alaska's Workforce | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| *+ | HB 249 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
[Includes discussion of HB 96.]
3:19:42 PM
CO-CHAIR HALL announced that the only order of business would be
a presentation regarding the role of seniors & youth in Alaska's
workforce.
3:20:04 PM
DAN ROBINSON, Chief, Division of Research and Analysis,
Department of Labor & Workforce Development (DLWD), on behalf of
DLWD, gave a presentation regarding the role of youth and
seniors in Alaska's workforce via PowerPoint [hard copy included
in committee file]. He said that the presentation would
highlight information that was included in DLWD's October 2025
publication of Alaska Economic Trends. He drew the committee's
attention to a quick response (QR) code included on slide 2 that
would allow for easy access to the presentation from a mobile
device.
3:20:32 PM
MR. ROBINSON, proceeded to slide 3 of the presentation, which
provided a bar graph summary of youth workers in Alaska. He
said that the bars represent the total number of resident
workers in Alaska over a timeframe. Furthermore, he said that
the blue line is the percentage of youth workers 14 to 17 years
old. He said that an interesting decline could be observed,
starting in the early 2000s through the Great Recession, and
since then employment rates have remained fairly low. He said
this trend could be observed at a national level as well.
However, there was an increase in youth employment since the
COVID-19 Pandemic.
MR. ROBINSON proceeded to slide 4, which illustrates teen wages
during/after the COVID-19 Pandemic. He noted that the graph
illustrated quarterly wages and followed COVID-19 in 2020, when
it increased to $2,188. He noted that these were fairly low
wages but were expected to be given to the 14-to-17-year-old
demographic, who typically work in low-wage jobs. He said that
wage increases can likely be attributed to employers' need to
fill positions. He explained that many of these workers are in
hotels, restaurants, and retail. He said that there was some
involvement in local government, and a little bit of
construction involvement as well. He said that construction
work was an outlier profession that had higher earnings. He
explained that wages go up when the demand for labor exceeds
supply, simple economics. He said if employers were hungry to
fill positions, they often reach into the youth labor pool.
3:24:32 PM
MR. ROBINSON, proceeded to slide 5 of the presentation, which
illustrates senior workers in the workforce. He noted that as
the graph indicates, senior involvement in the workforce has
steadily increased since 2003. From 1.8 percent of the total
workforce in 2003 to 6.2 percent in 2023.
3:25:19 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked whether there is a point at which
the percentage of older workers begin to "peel down," specific
to age.
MR. ROBINSON responded that the largest number of senior workers
mentioned are 68 years old and older seniors are less likely to
participate in the workforce, this was especially apparent for
seniors in their 70s.
3:26:10 PM
MR. ROBINSON proceeded to slide 6 of the presentation, which had
a line graph that illustrated senior growth in the workforce
since 2003. Additionally, it provided a line that illustrated
youth worker growth as well. Senior worker involvement in the
workforce has grown 350 percent since 2003; higher growth
relative to other age groups.
MR. ROBINSON proceeded to slide 7, which illustrated the regions
in Alaska and their respective proportions of workers aged 65 or
older. He said that there are more people aged 65 or older; the
"baby boomers." He specified that this group of people were
born from 1946 to 1964 and the youngest of them will turn 62 in
2026. He said that baby boomers had a disproportionate number
of children, the "echo boomers," who represent the largest age
group in Alaska. He said that Southeast Alaska sees many
workers aged over 65, whereas the North Slope has proportionally
fewer workers 65 or older, and fewer people aged 65 or older
living there.
3:28:38 PM
REPRESENTATIVE FRIER asked whether the numbers pertaining to the
North Slope included workers.
MR. ROBINSON confirmed that the summaries included North Slope
workers. He clarified that the summaries included all workers
in a region and not just those who lived there.
3:29:13 PM
REPRESENTATIVE COULOMBE asked whether there was any information
pertaining to what kinds of jobs senior workers are occupying.
She understood that childcare and daycare were large employment
sectors for baby boomers.
MR. ROBINSON responded that healthcare workers were the second
largest profession held by baby boomers. He was unsure of the
first but thought it may be schoolteachers, with a large number
of senior workers working in local government and retail
professions as well.
3:30:09 PM
CO-CHAIR HALL asked whether the workforce statistics could be
attributed to Alaska's cost of living or whether it was more
like the "silver tsunami" effect.
MR. ROBINSON responded that the stock market and housing equity
have been quite friendly to people 65 or older. He said that
this group is likely able to retire more easily now than
previously during the COVID-19 Pandemic. He said that
retirement can be "sticky" and if someone can afford to stay
retired, they usually do. He noted that some people living on a
fixed income might return to work during periods of high
inflation. He said it was a little too early to fully
illustrate this type of data.
3:31:34 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER said that he was both "surprised" and
"pleased" to see so few slides. He asked whether he understood
what share of the entire state's wages are held by both teens
and older Alaskans and how important they were to the overall
economy.
MR. ROBINSON responded that both groups combined only account
for around 10 percent of the total resident workforce.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER clarified that he was asking for numbers
pertaining to wages.
MR. ROBINSON responded that he was to talk about this next. He
said that when looking at the youth workers, they make
approximately $8,000 dollars a year.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked whether there was an "all in"
percentage for both cohorts of young and senior workers.
MR. ROBINSON responded that this could be calculated and
information could be shared in a follow-up.
3:33:20 PM
MR. ROBINSON proceeded to slide 8, which illustrated labor
statistics of Alaska's working age population 18-64 years old.
The graph indicates a decrease in workforce involvement from
2015-2025 for this age group. He said during this time there
was an approximate decrease of 32,000-33,000 people of working
age. He said that the data is "fuzzy" and the decrease can be
attributed to fewer working age people in Alaska, not
necessarily employment issues. He noted however, that the
percentage of non-resident workers in the economy is going up;
in fact, it is nearly a 30-year high. He said that a report
would soon be released that details 2024, and it indicates that
22.9 percent of all Alaska workers were nonresidents.
3:34:52 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked whether there was any information
that could be used to compare Alaska to the national average
regarding the proportion of older and younger workers.
MR. ROBINSON explained that Alaska was fortunate that both age
and gender could be determined with the workforce. He said that
this could be done by analysis of the state's permanent fund
dividend (PFD) information. He said that other states did not
have this source of information. The closest tools other states
would have available is Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
records or voter records, both of which are far less
comprehensive than a PFD application file. However, he did say
that there would be some information available from the U.S.
Census Bureau. He explained that while Alaska has seen a jump
in seniors in the workforce, the state was still quite young
compared to other states. He said that older people tend to
want to retire in warmer destinations. Furthermore, birth rates
help shape these statistics. He said that Alaska and Utah tend
to be the youngest states; Utah due to higher birth rates and
Alaska because retired people leave Alaska at higher rates than
other states.
3:36:16 PM
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK remarked that the presentation included
information on the annualized earnings for the youth and senior
populations. She asked whether Mr. Robinson knew what the
annual earnings for the working-age population might be.
MR. ROBINSON responded that the earnings average for working-age
members was around $60,000. He said that this included
residents and assumes quarterly work; he noted that some workers
do not work over four quarters.
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK asked whether vacancy rates in Alaska
have changed since COVID-19 and whether public sector jobs were
beginning to be filled by both seniors and youth since the
pandemic.
MR. ROBINSON responded that there is a dataset called Jobs
Opening and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) and it shows really
high numbers of vacancies in Alaska and across the country after
COVID-19. He said that since the pandemic, vacancy numbers have
gone down, and the market has somewhat cooled.
MR. ROBINSON noted that recent applications for state positions,
including those in his department, have gone way up. He said
that some exploration of this would yield some interesting data.
3:39:03 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked about general labor economics and
whether having a large number of youth and seniors in the
workforce was a sign or good or poor health of an economy.
MR. ROBINSON responded that anytime someone is talking about
labor force participation, it is important to separate "why"
some people are working to the best degree possible. He said
that when a 70-year-old doctor is working, it is usually safe to
assume that they are working because "they want to." He said
that someone that age working in a grocery store may be working
under a different pretense.
MR. ROBINSON said that the department doesn't think in terms of
good, bad, or healthy, but much like a meteorologist, it is
called for what it is.
3:40:45 PM
REPRESENTATIVE COULOMBE asked whether Mr. Robinson understood
what the current unemployment rate or unemployment benefits rate
was for the working age population.
MR. ROBINSON responded that there was some detailed information
regarding who files for unemployment insurance, including by age
group.
REPRESENTATIVE COULOMBE said that she was interested in
unemployment benefits issued to members of the working age
population.
MR. ROBINSON responded that he could follow up and send
unemployment claims by age bracket.
3:42:06 PM
MARGE STONEKING, Associate State Director for Advocacy, AARP
Alaska, began by explaining that workers aged 65 and older have
become the fastest growing labor force in recent decades across
the country. She said that according to a 2023 U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics study, nearly half of individuals born between
1946 and 1960 expect to work past age 70 or do not plan to
retire at all. She remarked that in recent years, the
resilience of older workers has been especially notable, with
many actively seeking new jobs or career changes. According to
an AARP survey, approximately 24 percent of workers aged 50 and
above planned to change jobs in 2025. She said that this has
been driven by both financial needs from rising costs and the
desire for meaningful or flexible work arrangements. She noted
that some people choose to keep working to remain engaged,
challenged, and fulfilled, while others simply are not
financially prepared to retire. Given advancements in medicine
and living standards, someone at age 60 can expect to live
another 20 years, meaning their retirement savings must last for
decades. She said that given the rising costs, it has become
clear that retirement age before age 65 is far more a challenge
than before.
MS. STONEKING explained that looking at DLWD's Alaska Economic
Trends publication, one can see a notable difference between
occupation and average pay for Alaskans 65 and older and by
their gender. She noted that women earn less on average given
the same experience and job, which translates to greater
retirement challenges. Additionally, women live longer than men
and make up the majority of unpaid family caregivers and are
more likely to be single in their senior years. She said that
this places older Alaska women in a challenged position, often
working low-paid jobs such as retail and caregiving.
MS. STONEKING stated that a diverse workforce offers tangible
benefits to a workplace by broadened perspectives and increased
innovation and creativity. She said that this is especially
important given the rise of senior involvement in the workplace.
In a 2023 AARP Global Employee survey, AARP found increased
levels of job satisfaction for both older and younger workers
who work in multigenerational environments. However, negative
stereotypes and outdated assumptions mean that older workers and
job seekers are often treated unfairly. But, contrary to common
misconceptions, older workers offer many benefits to an employer
such as expertise, maturity, perspective, reliability, work
accuracy, and social skills, and they remain in their job
longer.
MS. STONEKING said that the main barrier to employment for older
workers is age discrimination during the hiring process and in
the workplace. According to AARP research, 90 percent of
workers aged 50 and older believe that age discrimination
against older workers is common in the workplace today.
Additionally, 64 percent of older workers have seen or
experienced age discrimination. She said these numbers are even
higher for Black workers and women older than 50. Consequently,
older workers continue to face significant challenges such as
long-term unemployment and as mentioned, age discrimination.
She reiterated that older workers should be valued members of
the workforce and noted the value they bring to an employer.
Addressing age-related barriers to employment, such as age
discrimination, is crucial to ensure that older Americans can
remain in the workforce or return to it if necessary. She said
that age discrimination also prevents labor shortages from being
addressed while qualified workers are sidelined. She noted that
she was looking forward to the data that was requested from Mr.
Robinson about unemployment rates by age group.
3:47:28 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER mentioned that wage disparities between
genders often include other factors than just gender. He asked
what states or sectors in Alaska take advantage of older workers
and what industry is getting the most benefit from employing
them.
MS. STONEKING said that she did not have this data available but
recognized it as a good question.
3:48:20 PM
CO-CHAIR FIELDS said that he was curious about whether Ms.
Stoneking had anecdotal evidence that would give insights into
whether older workers are working by choice or by necessity.
MS. STONEKING responded that she did not have any specific data
pertaining to this but anecdotally, she has heard from both
those who go back to work or continue working that it is often a
necessity.
CO-CHAIR FIELDS noted that one area of employment that Ms.
Stoneking described in her invited testimony was family care.
He said that the House Labor and Commerce Standing Committee had
previously moved HB 96 through the committee which was designed
to help ensure that caregiving is a job that someone can support
themself. He opined that it is a great bill and it was
currently under deliberation in the House Finance Standing
Committee. He said that he would not have originally thought
about caregiving as a primary workplace occupation for seniors
and welcomed any insights from AARP on how it could be
financially sustainable. He said that it is likely an important
career given current demographic change.
MS. STONEKING said that she could follow up with the question.
3:50:04 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER said that the committee had heard
references regarding the Alaska Economic Trends magazine from
Mr. Robinson. He asked whether Ms. Stoneking thought that there
was anything special from this publication that may warrant
attention.
MS. STONEKING said that she did not focus on youth data but
there was nothing pertaining to seniors that surprised her.
3:50:46 PM
SEAN SCHUBERT, Career & College Resources Coordinator, King Tech
High School, remarked that he has had the opportunity to help
young Alaskans seek employment, continued education, and
training for more than 30 years. This has included work with
the Job Corps, Alaska Department of Labor Youth Services, and
currently the Anchorage School District at King Tech High
School. He said that King Tech is a career technical education
school that prides itself on preparing young adults to enter the
workforce competently and confidently. This includes industry
validated classroom instruction, job shadows, internships, and
real work experience.
MR. SCHUBERT described the excitement when a student lands a job
or internship. He noted that recently six young men and women
told him that they recently were hired by Carlile as paid
interns, a starting point to a career as a diesel technician.
MR. SCHUBERT noted that he started his work life at a young age
with part-time work. This included work at a bakery, fast-food
venue, construction, and then a medical record office. Each
allowed the opportunity to learn different skill sets and how to
apply them in different ways. He said that these experiences
helped him understand workplace expectations and grow a sense of
work ethic. He remarked that the same is true for adolescents
and young adults in the workplace today. He said this type of
workplace growing experience is extremely important for Alaska,
particularly to address negative net migration from the state.
He noted that young adults leaving the state shrinks both the
economy and workforce each year.
MR. SCHUBERT said that like senior workers, young people face
challenges in the workforce. Many businesses require employees
to be 18 years or older, typically due to insurance
requirements. He said that if businesses could get help hiring
people under 18 by offsetting insurance hikes, companies could
develop Alaska's emerging workforce while meeting entry-level
needs.
MR. SCHUBERT said that there has been success helping businesses
explore unpaid internships for adolescent workers. He said that
student liability needs are met by the Anchorage School
District, which allows students to gain experience and apply
skills learned in career technical education classrooms.
MR. SCHUBERT noted that the transportation industry can be
challenging. Workplace involvement often requires a driver's
license and access to a vehicle, furthermore there are
challenges with inability to pay for driving school. He said
that funding from the state to school districts could help cover
costs associated with instructors, designated vehicles, and
insurance for school sponsored driving education would help
adolescent engagement in the transportation industry.
MR. SCHUBERT noted that education plays a significant role in
overcoming these barriers and properly funded initiatives that
help young adults go to work would help businesses maintain
staffing levels and help address out-migration of Alaskans. He
concluded by reiterating that anchoring young Alaskans to Alaska
is critical.
3:54:40 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked what a good first job might be to
set a young person up for a positive career trajectory in
Alaska.
MR. SCHUBERT responded that it is not just about finding "the
right job" but what would be a "good job" based on a student's
trajectory of interest. He noted that he recently had a young
man named Jaden come to him with a passion in automotive related
work. He was only 16, which limited shop work, but engagement
with places such as NAPA, AutoZone, and O'Riley's could allow
for industry placement without age requirements.
MR. SCHUBERT said that often students want the "biggest bang for
their time" or the higher earning positions. However, he often
needs to warn students that experience and career trajectory are
important considerations as well.
MR. SCHUBERT noted that he has students interested in
construction, retail, healthcare, tourism, and restaurants and
there are multiple partnerships with businesses in Anchorage to
help with employment accommodation. He said many businesses are
clamoring for more people and it is important to be creative
when trying to meet these staffing needs.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER said that the House Labor and Commerce
Standing Committee has previously debated and approved
legislation to support youth employment opportunities in the bar
and club workspace. He understood that King Tech High School
had a good hospitality and cooking program but asked whether the
school had considered expanding into training programs to
support new employment accommodations in bars or other licensed
establishments.
MR. SCHUBERT responded that youth employment involvement with
these types of businesses is done through partnerships. He
remarked that King Tech High School has a current partnership
with the Anchorage Hospitality Foundation that has helped to
give students employment opportunities with businesses like 49th
State Brewing, Hotel Captain Cook, and the Spenard Roadhouse.
He said that in the classroom, students are taught to understand
the work boundaries that include where and when they cannot
participate as an employee. Furthermore, businesses help
reinforce these working policies. He said that they can learn
these types of procedures prior to moving into additional career
opportunities after they turn 21.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked for clarification of the Anchorage
Hospitality Foundation and whether it was related to other
organizations.
MR. SCHUBERT responded that the Anchorage Hospitality Foundation
is a nonprofit organization that helps coordinate activities for
businesses. He said that currently five of his students were
doing paid internships that allowed school credit for work.
3:59:47 PM
REPRESENTATIVE COULOMBE commented that she has hired teenagers
in the past for work in retail. She said that labor laws can
create a hiring challenge for employers. This includes
limitations of workable time, shift length and breaks, operating
specific equipment, and not being able to work past 9:45 p.m.
She did not disagree with youth labor laws but noted that it can
be a challenge for businesses to "open the door to a minor."
She said it seems as if youth are being funneled into
hospitality and retail sectors because these industries can
adapt to current youth labor laws. She asked whether Mr.
Schubert had any insight into whether he felt current laws were
restricting opportunities for youth workers.
MR. SCHUBERT said that this often requires being creative. He
said that last summer, he had multiple young men and women work
in the construction industry, none of whom were over 18 years of
age. He said that it was very restrictive regarding what job
roles they could do, in fact multiple businesses cannot even
hire someone under 18 due to insurance stipulations. He said
that in this instance they were hired as unpaid interns. As
unpaid interns they were able to go to work and get amazing work
experience. As interns, the students could work only 60 hours a
week, this was a decision by the employer, the Alaska
Homebuilders Association. The business understood that the
students could not be paid, could not be placed on the books,
but were able to be awarded scholarships are the end of their
work. He said that at the end of the summer, the Alaska
Homebuilder Association awarded each student a scholarship that
had equated to 16 dollars-an-hour at 60 hours a week. He said
that in some instances for unpaid interns, the school district
covers liability insurance for the students.
MR. SCHUBERT noted that this same approach does not work in
every industry. He said that a couple of other students are
working for Tundra Telecommunications but are 18 years old,
which gives them more working flexibility. He said that one
student started there at 17 years old and the company worked
with their insurance provider to determine what exactly the
student could do and could not do. He said that the company
assigned a staff member to monitor the 17-year-old and ensured
that they were not doing work that had age restrictions. As a
result of this flexibility, that student is working for them
again as a paid intern and launching his career. He concluded
by reiterating that sometimes workplaces can be restrictive but
with a creative approach, solutions can be developed.
4:03:42 PM
CO-CHAIR HALL asked Mr. Schubert whether there was any financial
literacy education provided for students.
MR. SCHUBERT responded that many students go through financial
math and the instructor does a great job helping them understand
taxes, retirement, investments, how to stretch a dollar, and
even costs of buying bulk as opposed to individual units. He
said that King Tech does that best and can ensure that students
understand how to value earned income. He said that this
education also covers savings plans for any goals that follow
high school: this could include college, trade school,
apprenticeships, or even something else. Each of these would
require some financial investment. He said that this plan
includes ensuring adequate savings are put aside from paychecks
to support future decision-making.
4:05:30 PM
CO-CHAIR HALL, after ascertaining that there were no additional
questions from committee members, announced that this would
conclude the presentation.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska Economic Trends - October 2025.pdf |
HL&C 1/28/2026 3:15:00 PM |
Presentation: Role of Seniors & Youth in Alaska's Workforce |
| DOLWD LMI Older Workers & Youth for HL&C 1-28-26.pdf |
HL&C 1/28/2026 3:15:00 PM |
Presentation: Role of Seniors & Youth in the Workplace |