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Chapter I. Employment and Payroll 

 in the Tongass Forest Products Industi 



In 1989, harvest and processing of Tongass National Forest timber generated an 

 annual average of 3,050 jobs. The total number of workers in the Tongass forest 

 products industry is much higher, probably over 4,500, but a portion of the industry 

 is seasonal and therefore annual average employment is less than peak season 

 employment. Payroll earned by workers in the Tongass forest products industry 

 totaled $111 million. Tongass-related employment accounts for about 75% o/ all 

 forest products industry employment in Southeast Alaska. 



Included in Tongass forest products industry employment are 900 pulpmill jubs 

 accounting for $39 million in payroll. These figures do not include pulpmill 

 employed loggers or sawmill workers. Pulpmill employment has increased steadily 

 since about 1985 but is still below the peak years of the early 1980s when 

 employment lopped 1,000 jobs. The pulpmills are the largest single employers in 

 Sitka and Ketchikan. 



Sawmills grnorated the annual equivalent of 540 jobs during 1989. Sawmill workers 

 earned $18 million in wages and salaries. Sawmill employment is also at a five-year 

 high but remains well below the 1980 level of 785 jobs. 



Logging on the Tongass National Forest generated an annual average of 1,300 jobs 

 during 1989. Tongass loggers earned $42 million in wages and salaries. Logging 

 employment is at an all-time high for Southeast Alaska due in part to increasing 

 Tongass harvest but also to significant harvests from privately held timber lands. 

 As harvest from private timber lands decline, the Tongass will become even more 

 important in the regional forest products industry employment picture. 



Timber harvest-related construction added 160 jobs (annual equivalent) to the 

 Tongass forest products industry. These construction jobs accounted for about $7 

 million in payroll earned during 1989. 



Other basic components of the Tongass forest products industry added another 140 

 jobs and nearly $5 million in payroll. One hundred thirty-five towing and 

 stevedoring workers earned $4 million. Log scalers accounted for the remainder. 



