Opinion ID: 1209439
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The State's Justification.

Text: The justification proffered for the discrimination inherent in the local hire law is Alaska's historically high unemployment rate. For each year between 1970 and 1983, except 1975, unemployment in Alaska was higher than the national average. [6] Unemployment in the construction industry is a substantial factor in the overall rate of unemployment. Non-resident construction workers contribute to unemployment in the construction industry because, according to the state, they take jobs which otherwise would to to Alaskan residents. As such non-resident construction workers are a peculiar source of the unemployment problem in Alaska because they take those construction jobs which otherwise could be filled by unemployed Alaskans. In essence, the state's justification for the local hire law is that it tends to reduce unemployment in Alaska by eliminating non-residents from public works construction projects.