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By Andrew Gomes
Advertiser Staff Writer
Elimination of temporary seasonal jobs contributed to an increase in Hawai‘i’s unemployment rate to 4.1 percent in January from 3.6 percent in December, according to state Department of Labor & Industrial Relations figures released yesterday.
The average remained below the national rate of 4.7 percent for the second month in a row and was lower than Hawai‘i’s 4.9 percent rate in January 2000.
The department said 15,800 jobs were lost during the month, mainly in temporary seasonal jobs such as Postal Service positions. In all, 700 jobs were lost in the federal sector.
The biggest drop overall was in state government, where there were 8,500 fewer positions, primarily from the release of noninstructional support staff at the Department of Education and the University of Hawai‘i.
In the private sector, business services companies, including temporary help agencies, cut 1,000 jobs. Private schools trimmed staffs by 1,200. Retail and trade sectors shrank by 3,200 jobs. The hotel industry lost 300 jobs.
Industries with stable January job counts were construction, manufacturing, transportation, communications, utilities and the combined group of finance, insurance and real estate.
The number of unemployed grew on all islands except Lana‘i, where the rate dropped to 3.6 percent from 4.3 percent. The largest increase was on Moloka‘i, where the rate more than doubled to 14.8 percent from 7.3 percent. O‘ahu’s rate rose to 3.5 percent from 3.2 percent. On Maui the rate grew to 3.4 percent from 3.2 percent. Kaua‘i’s rate rose to 7.5 percent from 6.9 percent.
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