Hawaiʻi Unemployment Remains Unchanged for 6th Consecutive Month

Unemployment. Maui Now Stock Photo

The Hawaiʻi State Department of Labor & Industrial Relations announced that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for March was 2.1%, the same for the sixth consecutive month.

On Maui, the unemployment rate was at 1.9% on Maui Island, down slightly from the 2% rate in February and down from the 2.6% reported at the same time last year. Molokaʻi’s rate was 3.8% in March, down slightly from the month before when the rate was 4%, and down the 5.1% rate reported at the same time in 2017. The island of Lānaʻi reported a 2.7% unemployment rate in March 2018, up from the 2.2% rate in February, and down from the 3.4% rate at the same time last year.

The County of Maui as a whole had a 1.9% unemployment rate (non seasonally adjusted) for March 2018, down slightly from the 2% rate last month, and down from the 2.7% rate at the same time last year.

Statewide, 670,500 were employed and 14,050 unemployed in March for a total seasonally adjusted labor force of 684,550. Nationally, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.1 percent in March, also the same as in October 2017 through February.

Both initial claims and weeks claims decreased by 56 or -4.6% and by 652 or -8.2% respectively for unemployment benefits compared to one year ago. Over-the-month both initial claims and weeks claims also decreased by -8.6% and -7% respectively in March 2018.

The not seasonally adjusted rate for the State was 1.9% in March, compared to the revised rate of 1.9% in February.

In another measure of employment, there was an increase of 200 jobs over-the-month. Among the major industries, job gains occurred in Leisure & Hospitality (+600), Trade, Transportation, & Utilities (+500), Financial Activities (+400), and Education & Health Services (+100). Employment in both the Professional & Business Services and Information sectors remained unchanged.

Job losses were experienced in Manufacturing (-100), Other Services (-100), and Construction (-700). Government employment dropped by 500 jobs, with most of the decline in the Department of Education. In comparison with one year ago, total nonfarm jobs have expanded by 8,200, or 1.3%.