HAWAII'S OCTOBER UNEMPLOYMENT RATE AT 3.4 PERCENT

Jobs increased by 25,200 over-the-year

News Release from DBEDT, Nov 17, 2022

HONOLULU — The Hawaii State Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism (DBEDT) today announced that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for October was 3.4 percent, compared to 3.5 percent in September. Statewide, 654,050 were employed and 22,850 unemployed in October for a total seasonally adjusted labor force of 676,900. Nationally, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.7 percent in October up from 3.5 percent in September.

The unemployment rate figures for the State of Hawaii and the U.S. in this release are seasonally adjusted, in accordance with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) methodology. The not seasonally adjusted rate for the State was 3.5 percent in October, compared to 3.4 percent in September.

Industry Payroll Employment (Establishment Survey)

In a separate measure of employment, total nonagricultural jobs increased by 4,900 in October over September. Job gains were experienced in Leisure & Hospitality (+3,800); Education & Health Services (+400); Construction (+300); Financial Activities (+300); Information (+200); Manufacturing (+100); and Trade, Transportation, & Utilities (+100). Within Leisure & Hospitality, expansion was primarily in Food Services & Drinking Places, and secondarily in Accommodation; and Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation. For the second consecutive month, all the rise in the Education & Health Services grouping was in Health Care & Social Assistance. Employment remained stable in Professional & Business Services. Job losses occurred in Other Services (-100). Government employment contracted by 200 jobs. Over-the-year (October 2021 was the 19th month of pandemic effects), nonfarm jobs have gone up by 25,200, or 4.2 percent. However, in comparison with March 2020 (last month prior to pandemic effects), nonfarm jobs were down by 35,700, or -5.4 percent.

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