ISER Directors Diane Hirshberg (2021-2026), Gunnar Knapp (2013-2016), Steve Colt (2007-2009), Fran Ulmer (2005-2007), and Lee Gorsuch (1976-1994)
The Institute of Social and Economic Research got its start in 1961, just two years after Alaska statehood. ISER has been at the forefront of public policy research ever since.
Resource industries like oil and fishing are characterized by boom-and-bust cycles – there are “good years” and “bad years.” In communities that are highly connected to a particular resource, these economic shocks are foregrounded in the public attention. But how well does news coverage of the shocks reflect the actual health of the economy?
ISER faculty have published results from their study of Alaska’s construction workforce. Commissioned by the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities, the report examines Alaska’s workforce in nine priority construction occupations, including laborers, carpenters, electricians, and truck drivers.
Researchers from the UAA Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) discussed Alaska’s fiscal options on Zoom on Wednesday, Feb. 4.
Any fiscal option adopted by the state will have short- and long-term economic effects. ISER researchers hosted an event in Juneau to explain how various budget decisions may impact Alaska wages, employment, and outcomes by demographic. The presentation built from ISER’s recent evaluation of 11 primary fiscal options, along with three variations, that assessed the economic impacts of various budget options for Alaska.
A new study sheds light on the benefits and implications of the use of electric vehicles in rural Alaska.
Electric vehicles, or EVs, are widely thought to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Many rural communities in Alaska are not connected to larger electric grids. They use diesel fuels to generate most of their electricity and face extremely cold conditions not experienced elsewhere.
Would those communities benefit from EVs?
On Sept 5-6, ISER co-hosted with Rep. Mary Peltola, the Alaska Federation of Natives, and the First Alaskans Institute a statewide convening on outmigration issues in Alaska.
We are updating ISER’s publications database. In the interim, you can find many of ISER’s publications on the University of Alaska ScholarWorks. If you need anything that does not appear here, please contact us, Tel: (907) 786-7710 or E-mail: uaa_iser@alaska.edu.