Maui Island Unemployment Rate is Highest in State at 22%

Maui County’s not-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for July 2020 was 21.3 percent, according to the latest data released by the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

The rate on Maui Island was 22 percent in July, the highest in the state, followed by Kauaʻi’s 18.7 percent, Hawaiʻi County’s 12.8 percent, Honolulu’s 11.1 percent, Molokaʻi’s 7.9 percent and Lānaʻi’s 4.8 percent rate.

The Hawai‘i State Department of Labor and Industrial Relations announced that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for July was 13.1 percent compared to the revised rate of 13.4 percent in June.

Statewide, 551,750 were employed and 83,250 unemployed in July for a total seasonally adjusted labor force of 635,000. Nationally, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 10.2 percent in July, down from 11.1 percent in June.

The unemployment rate figures for the State of Hawai‘i and the US are seasonally adjusted, in accordance with the US Bureau of Labor Statistics methodology. The not seasonally adjusted rate for the State was also 13.1 percent in July, compared to the revised rate of 13.9 percent in June.

The DLIR reports that initial claims for unemployment benefits continued to contract, dropping by 3.8 percent over the month. Weeks claims continued to rise, growing by 2.5 percent as establishments remained closed due to COVID-19.

In comparison to one year ago, initial claims increased by 5,999 or 487 percent and weeks claims trended up by 121,487 or 1,659 percent.

In another measure of employment, total nonagricultural jobs increased by 200 over-the-month.

Job losses were experienced in Leisure & Hospitality (-4,600), Professional & Business Services (-1,900), Trade, Transportation, & Utilities (-400), Manufacturing (-300), and Construction (-200).

Within Leisure & Hospitality, job contraction was attributed to numerous layoffs in Accommodation. In the Professional & Business Services sector, the vast majority of the decline was in Administrative and Support & Waste Management & Remediation Services. Employment in Information, Financial Activities, and Other Services remained unchanged.

Job gains took place in Education & Health Services (+500). Government employment rose by 7,100, largely the result of an atypical June-July modest gain in the Department of Education whereas there is normally a significant June-July drop off.

Compared with one year ago, there has been a decline of 105,500 (-16.1 percent) nonfarm jobs, while compared with just three months ago (March) the job count has contracted by nearly the same amount, at -105,100 (-16.1 percent).