Come to work, please.

• Position: STATELINE - Brief article

Alaska, whose pay scales used to lure workers from all over the country, now faces a skilled-worker shortage. So many tradesmen are nearing retirement age that the state is struggling simply to replace them. The problem can be traced back to the 1970s when Alaska's economy was exploding and high paying jobs attracted youthful and footloose boomers. But now Alaska's pay premium has all but disappeared. The...