WASHINGTON: The Hawaiʻi State Department of Labor & Industrial Relations (DLIR) today announced that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for December was 2.9 percent, compared to 3.0 percent in November. The last time Hawaiʻi’s unemployment rate was 2.9 percent was in September 2007. Statewide, 679,900 were employed and 20,000 unemployed in December for a total seasonally adjusted labor force of 699,900.
Nationally, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.7% in December, compared to 4.6% in November. Here in Maui County, the non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in December was 2.7%. On Maui Island, the rate was 2.6%; on Molokaʻi unemployment was 5.4%; and on Lānaʻi, the rate was 1.9%. Both initial claims and weeks claims increased by 125 or 10% and 1,095 or 16.4% respectively for unemployment benefits compared to one year ago. Over-the-month, both initial claims and weeks claims also grew by 21.6% and 5% respectively in December 2016.
