Unemployment in Hawai‘i County Falls to 3.8% in July

Unemployment was down to just under 4% during the month of July, according to the latest data released last week by the Department of Labor & Industrial Relations (DLIR).

Unemployment in Hawai‘i County fell to 3.8% from 4.2% in June. During the same time last year, unemployment was at 3.4%, according to DLIR. Hawai‘i County remained 1% above the statewide average during July.

The average unemployment rate throughout the state for July was 2.8%, remaining unchanged for the fifth consecutive month. Statewide, 644,550 individuals were employed and 18,350 unemployed in July for a total seasonally adjusted labor force of 662,900. Nationally, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.7% in July, remaining unchanged from June.

Initial claims and weeks claims both increased by 4.9% and 1.1% respectively for unemployment benefits compared to one year ago. Over-the-month initial claims decreased by -1.9% while weeks claims grew by 3.1% July 2019.

In another measure of employment, jobs over-the-month increased by 700. Among the major industries, job gains occurred in Leisure & Hospitality (+1,000) and Education & Health Services (+700), with the bulk of the expansion in Leisure & Hospitality happening in Food Services and Drinking Places. Employment in Information, Financial Services and Other Services remained unchanged. Job losses were experienced in Construction (-100), Manufacturing (-100), Trade, Transportation & Utilities (-600), and Professional & Business Services (-800), with over half the decline in the Professional & Business Services grouping specifically from the Administrative/Support/Waste Management/Remediation Services sector. Government rose by 600 jobs. In comparison with July 2018, total non-farm jobs have expanded by 4,300, or 0.7%.

Over-the-year, jobs increased statewide in Hawai‘i by 4,300.