The Big Island is seeing consistent growth in the number of employed people, as well as stability and expansion in five key industries.
The Big Island is seeing consistent growth in the number of employed people, as well as stability and expansion in five key industries.
Since June, the number of Hawaii Island residents holding jobs has held steady at more than 80,000, said Bill Kunstman, Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations spokesman. In September, 80,700 Big Island residents were employed. The last time at least 80,000 people were employed on the island was August 2008, before the economic downturn.
“It’s only really been since January that there has been consistent growth in the numbers,” Kunstman said. Between summer 2008, the number of employed had hovered between 74,000 and just under 79,000. Every month since January, when 76,500 people held jobs, at least 200 more people have become employed.
Across all industrial sectors, including the five key industries of construction, trade, transportation and utilities, education and health services, leisure and hospitality, and professional and business services, there has either been stability or growth since September 2013, Kunstman said.
During the 12-month period, the professional and business services sector added 500 positions; the trade, transportation and utilities sector, 400 jobs; and construction, 300 jobs. Two hundred jobs were added in the education and health services sector while the 13,000 positions in the leisure and hospitality sector showed no signs of change.
Unemployment claims have also gone down or held steady in the five sectors.
The numbers are a “good sign for the Big Island since those are professional and higher-paying jobs,” Kunstman said.
While positive signs are being seen in regard to the number of employed people, as well as across all industrial sectors, Hawaii Island’s unemployment rate inched up last month.
According to the state department, 5.4 percent of the island’s residents were without jobs, up from 5.2 percent in August and down from 6.1 percent in July. The rate is down more than a percentage point from 6.7 percent during September 2013.
Hawaii Island’s highest unemployment rate since the economic downturn in 2008 was recorded in June 2011 when 11 percent of the island’s workforce were without jobs, according to historical data kept by the state.
Across the state, which includes unemployment numbers from all four counties, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.2 percent in September, down 0.1 percent from August. Unemployment statewide in September 2013 was 4.7 percent.
Around Hawaii, Honolulu City and County’s unemployment rate in September was 4 percent, up slightly from 3.8 percent in August; Maui County’s rate increased to 4.3 percent from 4.2 percent the month before; and Kauai County saw its rate inch up from 4.7 percent to 4.8 percent in September.
Nationwide, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.9 percent in September, down from 6.1 percent in August, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. The rate is down, however, from 7.2 percent when compared to a year ago.
The number of unemployed people nationwide declined to 9.3 million in September, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, which said 329,000 fewer Americans were unemployed compared to August.
Across the state of Hawaii, some 27,900 people remained unemployed and 638,050 held jobs in September, according to the state department. In September 2013, 30,850 people were without employment.
Hawaii Island’s workforce during the same period consisted of 85,250 people of whom 80,700 held jobs, according to the preliminary statistics kept by the state. Some 4,550 were unemployed.
Statewide, some 2,700 nonagriculture-related jobs were created, according to the state department.
The educational and health services sector saw the greatest number of jobs created in September with 1,500 positions added. The trade, transportation and utilities sector added 1,110 positions while construction saw jobs increase by 1,000 positions. Some 700 jobs were added in the professional and business services sector while financial activities saw 300 more positions created.
Job contraction was seen in the leisure and hospital sector where 700 positions were cut and in the manufacturing sector, which lost 300 positions. Government saw job numbers decrease by 1,000 positions. The loss was attributed to the release of workers who assisted during the August primary election.