Shrinking labor force is not good for Wrangell

I am not an economist, though I like learning and thinking about economic problems.

Nor am I a statistician, human resources manager or director of hiring at a business.

But I do think a lot about why so many employers in Wrangell, around the state and across the country are finding it so hard recruiting people to fill vacant jobs.

As of October, while there were 7,300 fewer jobs in Alaska than a year ago, there were three times as many people unemployed, according to U.S. Labor Department statistics. Yet, it seems some days there are more help wanted signs on storefronts than open signs.

The...