260 likes | 360 Views
State of the Data: Migration, Fuel Costs, Community Viability Steve Colt Institute of Social and Economic Research University of Alaska Anchorage in partnership with Alaska Native Policy Center Joan Kane, Executive Director
E N D
State of the Data: • Migration, Fuel Costs, Community Viability • Steve Colt • Institute of Social and Economic Research • University of Alaska Anchorage in partnership with Alaska Native Policy Center Joan Kane, Executive Director Full report: www.iser.uaa.alaska.edu/Home/ResearchAreas/fuelcosts.html Denali Commission 28 Feb 2008 Juneau
Initial Research Questions • Has migration accelerated? • If so, who is moving, to where, and why? • If so, are fuel costs a major driver? • What other factors may be causing migration? • How are fuel costs affecting subsistence participation? • How are fuel costs affecting the viability of local governments, utilities, and local businesses? • Are there major factors – other than fuel costs – affecting community viability and migration, such as lack of employment? • Do regional patterns emerge? Can data be collected and reported regionally?
Topics for Today • Migration flows • Reasons for migration • Role of fuel costs • Other factors • Opportunities for better data and better understanding ...a research memorandum and digital - Web literature archive are also being prepared
Sources • Major primary data sources: • U.S. Census • DOLWD (population, migration), DHHS (births, deaths) • ISER Survey of Living Conditions in the Arctic (SLiCA): 2003; n=663 Natives; North Slope, Nana, Bering Straits regions) • First Alaskans Institute Attitudinal Survey (2007; n=902: 600 Natives + 302-non-Native; statewide) • Literature: 40+ papers circa 1960-present, most of which use the same data sources
Resource booms fueled statewide growth and migration Salmon boom shows permanent population does not always follow economic boom Salmon Pipeline WW2 / Military Oil money Gold Pulses of migration shown in yellow source: ISER, Census, DOL
Net Migration– Statewide 1980-2007 source: AK DOL (pfd)
Net Migration: Rural Census Areas 1980-2007 source: AK DOL (pfd)
Declining births may turn migration into absolute population decline Births – rural AK Net migration – rural AK source: DOL (pfd); DHHS births by mother’s place of residence
Wade-Hampton Census Area:More people born than leaving source: DOL (pfd); DHHS births by mother’s place of residence
Overall, no long-term acceleration in migration However, • Rates vary dramatically across communities • Smallest communities are losing population • Of communities with 100 or fewer people in 2000, two-thirds have lost population. • This has been going on for a long time (eg 1800s to present) (Alonso & Rust 1976)
Cumulative net migration during 2000-2007% of 2000 pop., by census area
Age structure of 21 of Alaska’s smallest communities, year 2000 source: US Census 2000
Why are people moving? • Fuel costs • Other factors
Primary energy consumption per Alaskanbarrels oil per person per year
Effect of recent fuel price run-up...... • Average person in a PCE community uses 1,000 gal of diesel & gasoline • Average price increase = $2.00/gal • Arithmetic:$2,000 -- 8,000 increase per household per year • (includes electricity, community buildings) source: ISER/Colt “Energy Flow in Alaska 2005”
Why did you move?FAI survey open-ended: source: FAI Attitudinal Survey (2007)
What would it take for you to return? (open-ended) source: FAI Attitudinal Survey (2007)
Broadly speaking, • Neither FAI nor SLiCA respondents mention fuel costs in open-ended questions • Social factors / “Gorillas in the Room” • Alcohol • Public safety • Domestic violence
Example to ponder: North Slope • high wages, low fuel costs (subsidized), police officers, subsistence opportunities • People still leave
Data Opportunities: secondary data • DOL migration data based on PFD zip codes • continue net migration by census area • add net migration by age-sex • add origin-destination • add net migration by community
Opportunities: new primary data • Panel study of ANCSA shareholders • Sample frame exists • Attrition would be minimized • provides Alaska-specific data (subsistence, quality of life...)
Primary Data • ANCSA shareholder survey does not pick up young people; hence, • Survey of rural college students, rural high school students (tough),or similar subgroup • FAI did pilot survey at AFN youth conference
Other opportunities • Comprehensive housing survey • Omnibus social survey • characteristics • behavior • expenditures • attitudes
Thank You! www.iser.uaa.alaska.edu www.firstalaskans.org