Maui Island Unemployment Rate 14.1 Percent in January

Unemployment on the Island of Maui was 14.1 percent in January, down from 13.8 percent the previous month, but still well above the 2 percent rate reported in January of last year, prior to the pandemic.  

Statewide, Kauaʻi now has the highest unemployment rate in the state at 14.5 percent; while the island of Lānaʻi has the lowest rate at 7.7 percent.  The data was compiled by the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.  Statewide unemployment was 10.2 percent in January, compared to the national seasonally adjusted rate 6.3 percent. 

The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for January was 10.2 percent compared to the revised rate of 10.3 percent in December, according to the latest report from the Hawai‘i State Department of Labor & Industrial Relations.

Statewide, 588,050 were employed and 67,000 unemployed in January for a total seasonally adjusted labor force of 655,050. Nationally, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 6.3 percent in January, down from 6.7 percent in December.

The unemployment rate figures for the State of Hawai‘i and the US in this release are seasonally adjusted, in accordance with the US Bureau of Labor Statistics methodology. The not seasonally adjusted rate for the State was 9.8 percent in January, compared to the revised rate of 9.3 percent in December.

Initial claims for unemployment benefits totaled 4,276 up from the previous month level of 4,109.  The total number of continued weeks claimed for benefits for the month of January was 27,495, a decrease of 6,882. Weeks claims descended by 20 percent due to the exhaustion of the 26-week maximum Unemployment Insurance benefit period and transitioning into the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program.

In comparison to one year ago, initial claims trended up by 2,791 or 188 percent and weeks claimed grew by 20,447 or 290.1 percent.

Industry Payroll Employment (Establishment Survey)

In another measure of employment, total nonagricultural jobs decreased by 1,500 over-the-month. Job gains occurred in Professional & Business Services (+1,000), Construction (+700), Education & Health Services (+700), and Information (+200).

Within Professional & Business Services, the rise was concentrated in Administrative & Support & Waste Management & Remediation Services. Employment remained unchanged in Manufacturing and Financial Activities. Job losses were experienced in Trade, Transportation, & Utilities (-600), Leisure & Hospitality (-1,100), and Other Services (-1,800). In Leisure & Hospitality, the decline was mostly in Accommodation. Within Other Services, the employment decreases were spread out over numerous subsectors.

Government employment contracted by 600 jobs. Compared to one year ago, nonfarm jobs went down by 122,100 (-18.4 percent), while compared to March, when the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown orders began, the job count dropped by 115,000 (-17.6 percent).