The Hawaiʻi State Department of Labor & Industrial Relations today announced that it would launch Federal-State Extended benefits beginning today, Tuesday, Oct. 27 to Hawaiʻi workers who have exhausted their state and federal jobless benefits. 

The program will pay $300 a week to all eligible claimants that have a weekly benefit amount of $100 or more in unemployment insurance benefits. The program excludes those with a weekly benefit amount of less than $100.

The new funding follows nearly $200 million in federal funding announced last month and $53.4 million announced last week.

The rate on Maui Island was 22 percent in July, the highest in the state, followed by Kauaʻi's 18.7 percent, Hawaiʻi County's 12.8 percent, Honolulu's 11.1 percent, Molokaʻi's 7.9 percent and Lānaʻi's 4.8 percent rate.  

Here in Maui County, the non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 22.6% in June, an improvement from the 34% rate reported last month, but still significantly higher than the 3% rate reported at the same time last year. 

The report shows the State paid more than $2 billion in benefits since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic on March 1, 2020.

Maui Mayor Michael Victorino is providing updates on Pacific Media Group’s network of Maui stations as the County continues to adjust to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Today, the Mayor spoke with Shane Kahalehau of KPOA 93.5 FM on Maui, and shared his thoughts on new cases, mask use in Maui County and unemployment.

Calls will be taken during normal business hours, from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Maui has launched a website with information to help Maui County residents file for unemployment insurance or register for job searches from the safety of home in the wake of impacts from the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak.

The unemployment offices in Hilo, Kealakekua, Wailuku, and Līhuʻe are switching to an appointment only service for those not using the online system.

The unemployment rate for the island of Maui was 2.5% in May, according to the Hawaiʻi Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

According to the report, Hawaiʻi ranked 1st in its share of jobs supported by exported goods; 2nd in its under-employement rate; and 4th in...

The Hawaiʻi State Department of Labor and Industrial Relations recently announced that the unemployment rate for the island of Maui was 2.7% in April, compared to 2.8% the month before. Maui’s unemployment rate in April of last year was 2.1%. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for the state was 2.8% in April, the same as in... Read more »

The unemployment rate for the island of Maui and Maui County in February was 2.8%, according to the Hawaiʻi State Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

The unemployment rate on Maui Island was at 1.9% in August, down from the 2.1% rate in July and down from the 2.1% rate reported at the same time last year.