Maui County unemployment rate drops to 3.9% for August 2022

Maui County’s unemployment rate for August was slightly higher than the statewide unemployment rate of 3.6% and the US unemployment rate of 3.7%. When seasonally adjusted, the statewide unemployment was 4.1% and the US rate was 3.8% overall. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates are not available for the individual counties and islands.

Seasonally adjusted reflects hiring and layoff patterns that accompany regular events such as the winter holiday season and the summer vacation season. 

Lānaʻi’s unemployment rate fell dramatically to just 1.9% while Moloka’i’s rate fell slightly to 10.2%. Maui Island’s unemployment rate is at 3.8%, down from 4% in July.

Honolulu County has the lowest unemployment rate in the state at 3.5%, with the Big Island at 3.7% and Kaua’i at 4.3%.

Statewide, 651,550 were employed and 27,650 unemployed in August for a total seasonally adjusted labor force of 679,250. This is 2,500 more people in the labor force for August than July — with 2,100 more people employed and 400 more people unemployed.

The unemployment rate figures for the State of Hawai‘i 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 3.6 percent in August, compared to the revised rate of 3.7 percent in July.

In the state, job gains for August over July were experienced in construction (+300), trade, transportation and utilities (+300), manufacturing (+100) and other services (+500).

Statewide job losses were experienced in information (-100), financial activities (-100), professional and business services (-100), education and health services (-100), and leisure and hospitality (-200).

Government employment declined by 1,200 jobs, mostly because of a larger July-August seasonal drop at the Department of Education.

Over the year (August 2021 was the 17th month of pandemic effects), nonfarm jobs have gone up by 13,000 or 2.2%. However, in comparison with March 2020 (the last month prior to the pandemic effects), nonfarm jobs were down by 44,800 or -6.8 percent.