Hawaii County’s unemployment rate increased slightly last month while jobs in construction, manufacturing and government expanded on the Big Island.
The state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations announced Thursday that the unemployment rate for February in Hawaii County was 5.3 percent. That compares to January’s 5.2 percent unemployment rate and the state’s unemployment rate of 4.1 percent, which showed no increase during the same period.
The data also reflects the Big Island’s trend of holding the highest unemployment rate among Hawaii’s four counties. Comparatively, Honolulu’s unemployment rate for February was about 3.9 percent, and Kauai’s around 4.8 percent with Maui’s at 4.4 percent. Each of the counties’ unemployment rates has increased slightly since December.
While unemployment increased slightly for Hawaii Island residents, some job sectors grew during the past month. About 100 construction and another 100 manufacturing jobs were added, along with 200 government jobs, and 200 jobs for professional businesses and services, according to the department’s preliminary data sheets. However, there was a slight decrease in the leisure and hospitality, educational and health services, and trade transportation and utilities sectors.
Meanwhile, the state’s unemployment rate remains steady and officials report 647,000 Hawaii citizens were employed last month with about 27,900 unemployed. According to the report, nonfarm jobs declined by 1,200 in February. In comparison, with February 2014, there has been an expansion of 7,200 nonfarm jobs, the report states.
However, several major industries statewide remained stable, including manufacturing, educational and health services, and the leisure and hospitality sectors. Government jobs increased in the sta te by about 200.
Relatively small declines were reported in the state’s construction sector, where officials noted a decline of 200. Financial activities also saw a loss of about 200 jobs, and trade, transportation, and utilities dropped by about 400. Professional and business services declined by about, primarily in the administrative and support subsector.
As unemployment rates dropped some since last year in Hawaii, the national unemployment rate also dropped for February to 5.5 percent compared to a 6.7 percent unemployment rate in 2014.