Take Alaska's recession and add the growth of e-commerce. It's been tough on retail jobs.

At Nine Star Education and Employment Services, Sharon Pulou-Isaako has seen the effect of local retail layoffs firsthand. People go to Nine Star in Anchorage and Wasilla for help finding work.

"I can tell you that it is pushing our job seekers to other avenues," said Pulou-Isaako, lead career development coordinator at the nonprofit. "With my candidates, I have been pushing them into training opportunities."

Retail jobs in Alaska peaked in 2015, the same year the state's current recession began. The sector had a net loss of jobs statewide the following year, though some smaller Alaska communities were immune to that decline.

Overall, the state lost 1,076 retail jobs from 2015 to 2017, according to an economic trends report released earlier this month by the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The drop follows years of "modest" growth from 2011 to 2015, the report said.

Read more: https://www.adn.com/business-economy/2018/04/21/take-alaskas-recession-and-add-the-growth-of-e-commerce-its-been-tough-on-retail-jobs/