The number of unemployed Alaska workers appears to be stable, but total employment in the state is dipping slightly, continuing a trend underway for several months, state labor economists reported Oct. 16.

Unemployment nudged up 0.3 percent in September to 8.4 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis, compared to an August jobless number, which was readjusted down by 0.2 percent, to 8.1 percent.

The number of workers filing for and receiving unemployment compensation has been in the 8.4 percent range since March and has not changed significantly, the labor department said in a written release.

This is in contrast to the national trend. The national unemployment rate climbed from 8.5 percent last to 9.8 percent from March to September, but Alaska's rate was generally stable through that period, the labor data indicates.

Another bright spot for Alaska is that the Unemployment Trust Fund, which holds the money used to pay unemployment claims, has a $330 million balance and is considered healthy, state labor Commissioner Click Bishop wrote in the October issues of Trends, a report issued by the state labor department.

Many other states have insolvent trust funds due to high unemployment, Bishop said.

Alaska is also one of three states where employees contribute money to the trust fund. Employers pay 76 percent of unemployment benefit claims and employees, through deductions from their paychecks, pay 24 percent, he said.

The monthly report issued Oct. 16 showed there were the expected seasonal declines in September. Alaska's total job count fell about 8,600 between August and September, a fairly typical seasonal decline caused by reduced activity in industries such as seafood, construction and tourism that are busiest during the summer months.

However, year-over-year comparisons indicate declines in key industries. Construction, for example, was down about 900 jobs when comparing September 2009 with the same month of 2008, and retail trade was down about 500. Employment in those industries have been down for several months now.

Preliminary estimates are that there were 19,100 construction workers employed in September, down from 20,000 in the same month of 2008.

Oil and gas employment dropped by about 300 jobs in September, the first decline in a while. The labor department's preliminary estimate for September was that there were 13,000 employment in petroleum, down from 13,300 in September 2008.

Health care employment showed an increase of 1,000 jobs in September compared to the same month in 2008. Government employment was also up by about 700 in September compared to September 2008.