HILO — Hawaii County’s unemployment rate increased a fraction last month but remains near 10-year lows, according to recent figures from the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.
A reported 3.3 percent of the county’s labor force was unemployed in May, up slightly from 3.2 percent in April but down from 3.8 percent in May 2016. Hawaii County’s unemployment rate was last 3.3 percent in May 2007. The county unemployment rate dipped as low as 2.6 percent in December 2006 and was as high as 11.2 percent in June 2009.
“Hawaii County continues to see strong visitor numbers, which is reflective of consumer confidence as the US moves well away from the Great Recession,” Diane Ley, director of the county’s Department of Research and Development said in an email Monday. “Both hospitality and related retail rely heavily on a significant number of employees to provide a wide range of services, thus creating employment opportunities.”
The county’s unemployment rate remains higher than those of the state’s other counties, and the state’s overall jobless rate was 2.7 percent for May. The overall state unemployment rate has remained constant since March, according to seasonally adjusted Department of Labor and Industrial Relations data.
The state gained 1,000 leisure and hospitality jobs in May, split evenly between accommodation and food service/drinking places. It also added 700 trade, transportation and utilities positions — largely in retail trade — and gained 500 educational and health services positions. Manufacturing and construction also reported gains of 200 and 100 positions, respectively.
The professional and business services industry reported the biggest job losses, shedding 800 positions last month. The financial activities industry lost 200 positions and information positions lost 500. Jobs in government remained stable.
Overall, 678,300 Hawaii residents were employed in May while 19,150 were unemployed.
Nationally, the May jobless rate was 4.3 percent, slightly down from 4.4 percent in April.
Email Kirsten Johnson at kjohnson@hawaiitribune-herald.com.