Maui County unemployment rate drops to 3.7% for September 2022

Maui County’s unemployment rate for September was 3.7%, which was down from 3.9% in August but slightly higher than the statewide unemployment rate of 3.4% and the US rate of 3.3%, according to the Hawai‘i State Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism.

Honolulu County has the lowest unemployment rate in the state at 3.3%, with the Big Island at 3.5% and Kaua’i at 4%.

The breakdown for Maui County: Lānaʻi’s unemployment rate remained at an extremely low 1.8% while Moloka’i’s rate fell to 7.4%, 3% lower than in August. Maui Island’s unemployment rate remained the same month-to-month at 3.7%.

When seasonally adjusted, the statewide unemployment and the US rate were the same at 3.5%. For the state, it was a drop from 4% in August. For the country, it was a down from 3.75 last month.

Seasonally adjusted reflects hiring and layoff patterns that accompany regular events such as the winter holiday season and the summer vacation season and are done in accordance with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics methodology. These adjusted rates are not available for individual counties and islands.

Statewide, 653,250 were employed and 23,750 were unemployed in September for a total seasonally adjusted labor force of 677,000. This labor force is down by 2,000 in August, but the unemployed are down by 4,000.

In another measure of employment, total nonagricultural jobs increased by 2,700 over-the-month. Job gains occurred in leisure & hospitality (+2,700); education & health services (+500); construction (+400); and professional & business services (+200).

Within leisure & hospitality, the largest expansion was in food services & drinking places, distantly followed by arts, entertainment and recreation.

All the rise in the education & health services grouping was in health care & social assistance.

Employment remained unchanged in manufacturing and information.

Job losses were experienced in other services (-200); financial activities (-300); and trade, transportation, & utilities (-400), with the losses in this category evenly split between wholesale trade and retail trade.

Government employment dipped by 200 jobs. Over-the-year (September 2021 was the 18th month of pandemic effects), nonfarm jobs have gone up by 20,800 or 3.5%. However, in comparison with March 2020 (last month prior to pandemic effects), nonfarm jobs were down by 40,200 or 6.1%.