HAWAII'S NOVEMBER UNEMPLOYMENT RATE AT 3.3 PERCENT

Jobs increased by 25,800 over-the-year

News Release from DBEDT, Dec 15, 2022 (excerpt)

HONOLULU — The Hawaii State Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism (DBEDT) today announced that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for November was 3.3 percent, unchanged from the revised rate of 3.3 percent in October. Statewide, 652,300 were employed and 22,250 unemployed in November for a total seasonally adjusted labor force of 674,500. Nationally, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.7 percent in November, the same as in October. 

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 4.0 percent in November, compared to 3.5 percent in October.

Industry Payroll Employment (Establishment Survey)

In another measure of employment, total nonagricultural jobs increased over-the-month by 1,700. Job gains occurred in Leisure & Hospitality (+1,400); Education & Health Services (+700); Other Services (+500); Construction (+400); and Information (+100); Within Leisure & Hospitality, expansion was largely in Food Services & Drinking Places. Most of the rise in the Education & Health Services grouping was in Health Care & Social Assistance. Job losses occurred in Manufacturing (-100); Financial Activities (-100); Trade, Transportation, & Utilities (- 400); and Professional & Business Services (-500). Within the Trade, Transportation, & Utilities grouping, smaller than typical seasonally hiring in Retail Trade brought employment down. Contraction in Professional & Business Services was concentrated in the Administrative & Support & Waste Management & Remediation Services subsector. Government employment contracted by 300 jobs. Over-the-year (November 2021 was the 20th month of pandemic effects), nonfarm jobs have gone up by 25,800, or 4.3 percent. However, in comparison with March 2020 (last month prior to pandemic effects), nonfarm jobs were down by 34,700, or -5.3 percent.

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