Hawai‘i Unemployment Rate, New Record of 2% in April

Unemployment April 2018.

The Hawaiʻi State Department of Labor & Industrial Relations announced that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for April was 2%, compared to 2.1% for October 2017 through March 2018.

“The 2% unemployment rate is the new historical lowest unemployment rate on record dating back to 1976, under current methodology” said Leonard Hoshijo, DLIR Director.

On Maui, the unemployment rate was at 1.9% on Maui Island, unchanged from the rate in March and down from the 2.7% reported at the same time last year.  Molokaʻi’s rate was 4.8% in April, up from the 3.8% rate the month before, and down the 5.3% rate reported at the same time in 2017. The island of Lānaʻi reported a 2.1% unemployment rate in April 2018, down from the 2.6% in March, and down from the 3% reported in April of 2017.

The County of Maui as a whole had a 2% unemployment rate (non seasonally adjusted) for April 2018, unchanged from the 2% rate in March 2018, and down from the 2.8% rate at the same time last year.

Statewide, 671,700 were employed and 14,000 unemployed in April for a total seasonally adjusted labor force of 685,700. Nationally, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.9% in April, compared to 4.1% for October 2017 through March 2018.

Initial claims increased by 36 or 2.8% and weeks claims decreased by 676 or -8.7% respectively for unemployment benefits compared to one year ago. Over-the-month initial claims grew by 16.3% while weeks claims dropped by -2.4% respectively in April 2018.

The unemployment rate figures for the State of Hawaii and the U.S. in this release are seasonally adjusted, in accordance with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) methodology.

The not seasonally adjusted rate for the State was 1.9% in April, compared to the revised rate of 2% in March.

Industry Payroll Employment (Establishment Survey)

In a separate measure of employment, total nonagricultural jobs declined by 200 in April over March. Within the major sectors, there were job gains in Professional & Business Services (+300), Financial Activities (+200), Education & Health Services (+100) and Other Services (+100). Employment in Leisure & Hospitality, Manufacturing, and Information sectors remained stable. Job losses occurred in Construction (-300) and in Trade, Transportation, & Utilities (-300). Government employment decreased by 300 jobs. Compared with April 2017, total nonfarm jobs have increased by 8,600, or 1.3%.