Maui County’s unemployment dips slightly to 4.8% but higher than US rate of 4.1%

The unemployment rate for Maui County dropped to 4.8% for February 2022, which is .1% lower than the rate in January but higher than the US rate of 4.1%, according to the Hawai‘i  State Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism (DBEDT).

The island of Maui dipped to 4.6% in February (from 4.8 in January). Lānaʻi also dropped to 6.6% (from 7.3% in February), but the unemployment rate for Molokaʻi jumped to 7.3% (from 5.2% a month earlier).

These rates are all not seasonally adjusted.

For the state of Hawaiʻi, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for February was 4.3%, unchanged from the revised rate of 4.3% in January. Statewide, 644,300 were employed and 28,700 were unemployed in February for a total seasonally adjusted labor force of 673,000.

Nationally, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.8% in February, down from 4% in January.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rates are in accordance with the US Bureau of Labor Statistics methodology.

The not seasonally adjusted rate for Hawaiʻi was 3.8% in February, down .2% from January.

Hawaiʻi’s industry payroll employment survey found the total nonagricultural jobs increased by 2,100 in February over January. Job gains took place in leisure and hospitality (+900); trade, transportation and utilities (+800); construction (+600); and professional and business services (+300). 

Most of the rise in leisure and hospitality was in restaurants and bars. 

Expansion in the trade, transportation and utilities grouping was roughly split between retail trade and the transportation, warehousing and utilities subsectors. 

Employment remained unchanged in manufacturing, financial activities, education and health services, and other services. 

Job losses occurred in information (-200). Government employment decreased by 300 jobs.

The state’s total for non-agriculture jobs for February 2022 was 599,400. It is up 41,800 or 7.5% from February 2021 (the 11th month of pandemic effects).