KAILUA-KONA — Hawaii County recorded an increase in unemployment during September, the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations reports.
About 3 percent of the island’s 88,150-person workforce was without work during the month, according to the department. The rate is up slightly from 2.7 percent in August, but down from 3.5 percent in June.
At this point in 2017, just 2.6 percent of the Big Island labor force was out of work, according to the department.
Unemployment across the state also increased slightly from 2.1 percent in August to 2.2 percent in September, according to the department. Last September, unemployment was also at 2.2 percent.
Kauai County notched the largest increase in unemployment during the month with the rate increasing from 2.4 percent in August to 2.9 percent in September, according to the department.
Meanwhile, Maui County saw its rate increase from 2.1 percent in August to 2.5 percent in September, and Honolulu City and County’s jobless rate went from 2.1 percent in August to 2.4 percent in September.
Nationwide, unemployment decreased slightly from August to September with 3.7 percent of workers unemployed.
Around the state, job growth was recorded in professional and businesses services (1,400). State officials attributed the bulk of the increase to job expansion in professional employer organizations.
During September, job contraction was reported in leisure and hospitality (500); construction (300); manufacturing (200); financial activities (100); other services (100); and education and health services (100). The government sector also reported about 2,500 jobs lost due to the release of primary election workers.