The Federal Government has been "shutdown" since the beginning of October--the longest shutdown to date. If this continues, there may be an immediate lapse in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, which support around 42 million low- and no-income Americans. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service has already directed states to stop the issuance of SNAP benefits for the month of November due to insufficient federal funds. This means that Alaskans may not receive SNAP benefits for November, even if they are authorized to receive them.

The upcoming potential lapse in SNAP benefits would have a significant economic impact on Juneau, affecting approximately between 2,500 and 3,000 Juneau residents who currently receive an average of $323 per month.¹ The loss of approximately $1 million in monthly SNAP benefits would translate to a total economic impact of almost $1.5 million when accounting for the USDA's 1:1.5 multiplier effect, which recognizes that each SNAP dollar generates $1.50 in economic activity.² To put this in perspective, this economic loss would exceed the average monthly gross earnings from all Juneau fisheries combined in 2024. Direct SNAP benefits also represent 9% of Juneau's total monthly gross food sales³ — a substantial blow to the local economy that would affect not just SNAP recipients but the broader community through reduced spending at grocery stores and other businesses.

¹Southeast Alaska Food Bank and Catlin Nchako, “A Closer Look at Who Benefits from SNAP: State-by-State Fact Sheets”, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, January 2025.

²Patrick Canning and Brian Stacy, “The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Economy: New Estimates of the SNAP Multiplier”, Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, July 2019.

³City & Borough of Juneau.

JEDC is pleased to present the 2025 edition of the Juneau & Southeast Alaska Economic Indicators and Outlook report to our community. The report is an annual publication exploring trends in employment and earnings, demographics, education, construction, business and industry, and much more. Through this and all of our other research, we hope to increase awareness and engage citizens in local and regional economic issues.

We thank those who help us make this publication possible, including the City and Borough of Juneau, which provides core funding to JEDC, our Investors, and the many organizations who shared their research and information, most notably the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

You can read the 2025 edition, as well as past years' reports, on our website.

JEDC is governed by an eleven-member Board of Directors. Members include the Mayor of the City & Borough of Juneau, the Chancellor of the University of Alaska Southeast, representatives from environmental and organized labor groups, and other members representing our community appointed by the CBJ Assembly.

We are currently accepting applications for three (3) seats with terms beginning November 2025 and ending November 2028, including:

• One (1) member representing Organized Labor.
• Two (2) At-Large members with experience and expertise in fields relating to economic development, including but not limited to large and small business, entrepreneurship, natural resource development, tourism, banking and finance, engineering and construction, and government.

JEDC Board members are recommended to the CBJ Assembly Human Resources Committee by the current JEDC Board and then appointed by the CBJ Assembly based upon their experience and expertise. Candidates should plan on participating in interviews with current members of the JEDC Board at their monthly meeting on November 10.

Interested parties must send a letter of interest and a recent CV/résumé to Executive Director Brian Holst at bholst@jedc.org, or call for more information at (907) 523-2333. Applicants must also complete an application form with CBJ using the following link. The deadline to apply is Friday, October 31.

*Note: When filling out the CBJ-provided form, please select "Other" under the "Board, Commission, Committee" and then type "JEDC Board" in the following section.

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Alaska Angel Conference 2025: Investor Recruitment

JEDC serves on the organizing team for the Alaska Angel Conference (AAC), which aims to increase the number of angel investors in Alaska's statewide startup ecosystem by pairing experienced angel investors with novice investors and leading them through the process of identifying, filtering, selecting, and managing a group angel investment. The AAC also helps nurture the companies and mentor the entrepreneurs who apply for funding. The end goal is to award an investment to one of the startups that apply. To date, the AAC has invested $565,000 into five Alaskan startups since 2019, made possible by the Innovating Alaska Act (informally named the Alaska Crowdfunding Act).

We are joined in this work by the Alaska Investor Network (AIN), Alaska Version 3 (AKV3), the Center for Economic Development (CED) at the University of Alaska Anchorage, and 49th State Angel Fund with the Municipality of Anchorage. The twelve-week AAC process kicked off September 30, culminating in the final pitch event on December 11 in Anchorage.

It is not too late for Investors to join! If you're looking to invest in promising startups, this is your gateway to Alaska's thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem.

• Connect with pre-screened startups ready for angel investment, with deal flow curated by our expert panel.
• Participate in our signature pitch competition featuring Alaska's most promising entrepreneurs.
• Meet and collaborate with other angel investors, VCs, and investment groups active in the Alaska market.

So, if you want to invest $5,000 into an Alaska startup (alongside other Alaska investors in a pooled investment) AND learn about equity investing, register to be an AAC Investor today!

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The Local Frequency is an app-based loyalty and rewards program exclusively for local business.



Earn cash-back when you shop local.

Good for you and local business.

JEDC Investors

JEDC encourages shopping locally and supporting local non-profits and charities. When you shop, you can directly support STEM education in Juneau by contributing to the Alaska Development Corporation (ADC), a 501©3 charity affiliated with JEDC.

Did you know that the Local Change feature in the Local Frequency app allows you to round up your purchases to donate to local organizations like ADC?

Did you also know that Fred Meyer will donate to Alaskan organizations like ADC when you shop with them?

Choose the "Alaska Development Corporation" via the Fred Meyer and Local Frequency apps to support impactful STEM programming in Juneau!

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