Hawaiʻiʻs Unemployment Rate at 2.2 Percent in September

The Hawaiʻi State Department of Labor & Industrial Relations (DLIR) recently announced that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for September was 2.2 percent. According to the DLIR, the unemployment rate for Maui County was 2.5 percent, compared to 2.1 percent in August. The unemployment rate for the island of Maui was 2.3 percent, 6.8 percent for Molokaʻi, and 3.4 percent for Lānaʻi. 

The stateʻs unemployment rate was 2.1 percent from June to August. Statewide, 671,750 people were employed and 15,050 were unemployed in September. Nationally, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for September was 3.7 percent, compared to 3.9 percent in August.

Initial claims increased by 14.4 percent, while weeks claims decreased by 8.5 percent for unemployment benefits compared to one year ago. Initial claims rose by 25.5 percent and weeks claims rose by 2.7 percent during the month.

These unemployment rate figures are seasonally adjusted in accordance with the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) methodology. The not seasonally adjusted rate for the state was 2.5 percent in September, compared to 2.2 percent in August.

Another measure of employment, the Industry Payroll Employment (Establishment Survey), shows that the state lost 2,500 jobs during the month. Within the major sectors, the Professional & Business Services gained 1,400 jobs, with the bulk of the increase coming from Professional Employer Organizations. Employment in Trade, Transportation, & Utilities and Information remained the same. The Education & Health Services, Other Services, Financial Activities, Manufacturing, Construction, and Leisure & Hospitality sectors lost more than 100 jobs each. The government lost 2,500 jobs, mainly due to the release of primary election workers. The amount of jobs in the state increased by 11,600 from last year.