Hawaii County’s unemployment rate rose to 5.5 percent in June, the Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations reports.
Hawaii County’s unemployment rate rose to 5.5 percent in June, the Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations reports.
That’s up from 4.8 percent in May and 4.9 percent in April and March, according to the department and data from the Hawaii Workforce Infonet. In June 2014, 6.5 percent of the island’s labor force was without a job.
Statewide, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4 percent in June, down from 4.1 percent in May, according to the department. Some 4.4 percent of the statewide labor force was unemployed in June 2014.
Honolulu City and County’s unemployment rate in June was 4.1 percent, up from 3.7 percent in May; Maui County’s rate was 4.4 percent, up from 3.9 percent in May; and Kauai County’s rate was 4.8 percent, up from 4.4 percent, according to the department.
Nationwide, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.3 percent, down a tad from 5.5 percent in May. The rate is also down from last June, when 6.1 percent of the nation was unemployed. The number of unemployed people nationwide was 8.7 million in June, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Across the state of Hawaii, 26,850 people were unemployed in June, down from 27,500 people in May. A year ago, 29,500 people were without employment statewide, according to the department.
Hawaii Island’s labor force in June comprised 88,750 of whom 83,800 held jobs, according to preliminary statistics kept by the state. In May, 82,650 of the 86,850 people in the civilian labor force held jobs.
The greatest increase in jobs was recorded in the construction sector, which saw 1,200 jobs added in June, according to the department, which noted the growth was primarily in the heavy and civil engineering areas. Construction was followed by the leisure and hospitality sector where 500 jobs were added and the education and health services sector, which saw ranks increase by 400 positions. Two hundred jobs were added in both the trade, transportation and utilities and manufacturing sectors. Financial activities added 100 jobs.
Job losses were recorded in the professional and business services sector, which saw 1,900 positions cut, and other services, which recorded 400 fewer jobs, the state said.