Hawaii jobless rate holds at 6.3 percent
By Dave Segal
Article from: Star-Advertiser
Hawaii’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained at 6.3 percent in March for the third straight month, according to data released today by the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.
The trade, transportation and utilities grouping comprised the greatest job growth, expanding by 900 jobs from February. Government jobs fell by 1,100.
Hawaii’s labor force grew to 633,950 from 631,900 in the previous month with those employed rising to 594,000 from 591,950 and those unemployed remaining flat at 39,950.
A year earlier, Hawaii’s unemployment rate was at 6.8 percent.
The state still continues to far outpace the U.S., which had an unemployment rate of 8.8 percent in March.
For the counties, whose numbers are calculated on a not-seasonally adjusted basis, Honolulu fell to 5.1 percent from 5.3 percent in February, Hawaii County remained at 9.5 percent, Kauai fell to 8.5 percent from 8.6 percent and Maui County declined to 7.8 percent from 8 percent.
Separately in Maui County, the island of Maui fell to 7.8 percent from 7.9 percent, Molokai dropped to 10.8 percent from 11.1 percent and Lanai declined to 5.4 percent from 5.8 percent.
