The construction industry is responsible for about 9 percent of all Alaska jobs, and construction industry-related activity accounted for $3.4 billion in labor income in 2019, representing 10 percent of the state’s total labor income ($32.7 billion). The industry has continued to inject billions of dollars into the Alaska economy—even in the face of the devastating effects of the pandemic—as the state perseveres, continuing to build, expand, and upgrade. In 2021, the industry is expected to spend $4.3 billion, split pretty evenly between the private and public sectors, according to AGC of Alaska’s 2021 Construction Spending Forecast. There are so many exciting projects on the horizon that there was no shortage of ideas when the editorial team was discussing what to cover in this year’s construction special section. We wanted to know if the pandemic put planned projects on pause or if, somehow, construction on a new hotel in Anchorage or trail and visitor center upgrades were still going forward.
