MAUI UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IMPROVES TO 9.2 PERCENT IN JULY

Hawaii’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate declined to 7 percent in July-that’s an improvement of 0.3 percentage points below the previous month.  All islands saw improvement in rates in July, with Maui Island improving to 9.2 percent down from the 9.7 percent the month before.  Maui’s outer islands did better as well, but remained in the double digit range with Molokai’s rate at 16.3 percent, and Lanai at 10.1 percent.

Mauinow.com File Photo.

The construction industry lost 300 jobs over the month, and 5,000 over the year.  Industry officials attribute the figures in part to the weak economy and the delay in development of new projects.

For the past four months, Hawai’i’s monthly seasonally adjusted unemployment rates have been at least 2.0 percentage points lower than the national monthly rates.  In July, there were 600,150 employed and 45,300 unemployed, for a seasonally adjusted labor force totaling 645,450.

(Posted by Wendy Osher, Information provided by the State Department of Labor & Industrial Relations)