The Sled Dog Industry in Alaska

Anchorage, Alaska is not only the largest city in the state, but also the gateway to the Iditarod Sled Dog Race, also kown as "The Race for Mercy" and

The Last Great Race on Earth.

The word Idiarod means " a distant place." Requiring a full year of preparation every year, the Iditarod Sled Dog race is held annually at the beginning of March, along with a Jr. Iditarod for youth during the last several years. A great number of people are required to operate this race and jobs are available, as listed further below.

The race is held in order to commemorate an emergency dog sled relay in 1925 over the fronzen land and sea to deliverdipthjereia vaccine to the people of Nome, Alaska. Native Americans in Alaska made up the majority of the mushers that drove the dog sleds toward Nome along much a similar route to one the Iditarod travels in the 21st century. There were also some Europeans mushers.

The famous lead sled dog Balto led the last leg of the relay, his team and musher delviering the vaccine into the hands of the people that needed it,

They hauled the medicine to a group of adults and children stricken with the fatal disease diptheria out in the toughest wilds of Alaska, where no other form of trasporation could reach and where medicine and supplies were scarce. Some people unfortunately died becuase of these circumstances.

Balto led the final team to the children and helped save their lives. Statues and a museum can be visited in Anchorage, and a large statue in New Your City's Central Park commemorates Balto as a hero.

Anchorage is a big employment city in Alaska and a large center for the tourism, hospitality, and dog sledding industries.

Residents in Alaska are entitlted to receive a portion of the states oil sales revenues through a state savings account set up in 1976 through a state vote. In addition, Senior Citizens receive at least $150,000 in property tax exemptions or a rental rebate. There is no state or local income tax in Alaska.

The Top 10 Largest Employers in the State of Alaska are

1. Providence Health System
2. Safeway Stores, Inc. (retail-grocery)
3. Wal-Mart/Sam's Club (retail-grocery)
4. Fred Meyer (retail-grocery)
5. Alaska Airlines
6. BP Exploration, Inc. (oil and gas production)
7. Banner Health System
8. NANA Management Services
9. Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation
10. RC Energy Services

The largest number of employees work in the following sectors:

1. Transportation and Utilties (33,000)
2. Government (30,000)
3. Education and Health (17,000)
4. Perofessionals and Business (16,000)
5. Hospitality (15,000)

The Top 10 Employers hiring the largest number of Alaskan Natives are:

1. ASRC Energy Services
2. NANA Management Services
3. Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium
4. Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation
5. Southcentral Foundation
6. Doyon/Universal Ogden,
7. SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium
8. AES - Houston Contracting Company
9. Maniilaq Association
10. Norton Sound Health Corporation

Anchorage employees almost half of all people that work in the state of Alaska.

Travel Nursing is the Number One medical job avialable and in high demand in Alaska.

These jobs can be located by accessing this link: Alaska Nursing Jobs. Some of these RN jobs pay up to $95,000.000 per year, with an added housing benefit.

Another good link forRN jobs is at Alaska RN Jobs .

Anchorage offers additional opportunites in other medical and Healthcare occupations, Contruction Trades (including HVAC), Oil & Gas production, and Professions: architecture, environmental enginnering, legal, and InfomrationTechnology (IT).