Maui Jobless Claims Drop

By Sonia Isotov

Fewer initial unemployment claims were filed in Maui County for the week ending Feb 12 than compared to the same week last year.

According to numbers from the Hawaii State Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Maui County saw a 28% drop in filings from a year ago; the largest drop for all counties. Maui County also saw 8 fewer initial claims and 147 fewer weekly claims from the previous week ending Feb 5.

Overall, statewide initial unemployment claims decreased by 13.5%, with this week’s
total filings of 2,157 and filings during the same week in 2010 of 2,495.

Comparing 2011 to 2010 for the counties:
Oahu had 197 fewer claims filed
Hawaii had 16 more claims filed
Maui had 114 fewer claims filed
Kauai had 40 fewer claims filed

In percentage changes, comparing the current week to the same week a year ago:
Oahu had a 14.5% decrease
Hawaii had a 4.1% increase
Maui had a 28.6% decrease
Kauai had a 15.3% decrease

Weekly unemployment insurance initial claims and weeks claimed data reflect unemployment in the State of Hawaii. Initial claims initiate a determination of eligibility to begin a claimant’s benefit year (new claim) or subsequent period of unemployment (additional claim) within the benefit year, and reflect persons beginning a new period of unemployment. Weeks claimed are requests for weekly unemployment payments, whether or not benefits are actually paid, filed by claimants during the reference week. Agent claims are filed by unemployed persons now living in Hawaii, against another state in which they had prior earnings to qualify them for unemployment benefits.