Local government was a growth industry in Alaska in 2016. Wait, what?

ADN.com: The latest employment statistics released by the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development weren't pretty, indicating the state has shed thousands of jobs over the past year, largely in oil, construction, state government and professional and business services.

Just three areas saw growth, state economists said in their announcement last week: health care, leisure and hospitality, and, oddly, given the recession, local government.

"It definitely is surprising," said Conor Bell, an economist with the Labor Department. "We're seeing these significant losses in state government; you would expect local government to follow suit."

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