Job fair underscores rise in Big Island's economy
By Christie Wilson
Advertiser Neighbor Island Editor
Nearly 40 companies will be recruiting workers tomorrow at Kona's first large-scale job fair in years, reflecting economic growth fueled largely by construction of luxury homes in South Kohala and North Kona.
The dearth of workers across all sectors of the West Hawai'i economy may seem out of whack with the Big Island's unemployment rate of 8.4 percent — highest in the state — but most of the joblessness is believed to exist in East Hawai'i, which is still recovering from the collapse of the sugar industry in the 1990s. State labor statistics do not provide regional breakdowns.
"There's been a huge increase in job growth on the Big Island, especially in construction jobs, over the past couple of years," said state economist Pearl Imada Iboshi with the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.
In the first half of the year, there has been 5.7 percent growth in construction jobs in Hawai'i County, compared with 3.3 percent for the state overall, she said. In the month of June alone, construction jobs were up 5.4 percent on the Big Island, compared with a 1.1 percent decrease statewide.
Iboshi said overall job growth in Hawai'i County has been strong, about 2.5 percent for the year, slightly above the other counties.
The department's economic report issued in June for the first quarter of the year also noted that service industry jobs were up 4.8 percent on the Big Island, with health and business-service jobs up more than 10 percent.
Kona Community Hospital in Kealakekua, one of the job fair employers, has openings in its housekeeping, kitchen and laundry departments, and is particularly keen on anyone interested in receiving paid training to become a certified nurse's aide, said Human Resources Director Sharon Toriano.
The hospital's personnel needs increased when the facility's bed count expanded from 75 to 90 in January, she said.
"In our setting it's difficult to find qualified people with the necessary certification to do certain jobs," Toriano said.
In response to a shortage in certified nurse's aides, the hospital ran its own training program that resulted in the hiring of 15 new workers, but more are needed, she said.
Marni Herkes, executive director of the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce agrees that West Hawai'i is enjoying the benefits of a boom in luxury home construction that began last year. With business on the upswing, Herkes is wondering who will show up for tomorrow's job fair, since she doesn't think there are many idle workers.
Patti Aoki, who works in the human resources office at Hualalai Resort, helped organize the job fair as chairwoman of the Business Resources Council, a group of private employers that works with the state's Workforce Development Division.
Aoki is expecting 300 job seekers from as far away as Puna and Ka'u. She said the event isn't just for the unemployed but also for those who may be considering a job change. Employers are being encouraged to conduct on-site job interviews, and not just pass out applications, to make the event more meaningful, she said.
Many of the jobs available are entry-level positions. There is "a very wide range of jobs," Aoki said, with some firms needing sales people and clerks and others skilled technicians. At Hualalai, there are openings in the food and beverage department and for golf course maintenance workers.
At the Kmart in Kailua, Kona, store manager Robert O'Meara is always looking for recruits but hasn't noticed a particular need in recent months. "It's as difficult as it's always been," he said. "It's always a challenge for service-oriented businesses to hire workers who can deal with customer service and pass our rigid screening process."
O'Meara's store is nearly fully staffed now, he said, but is looking to add workers in anticipation of a busy fourth quarter that includes the holiday shopping season.
"The Job Connection" job fair will be held from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. tomorrow in the Kamakahonu Ballroom at the King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel. Other participating employers includes Hawai'i Community Federal Credit Union, Hawai'i Community College, Wal-Mart, Aloha Airlines, Longs Drug Stores, KTA Superstores, Wendy's, Tesoro and most of the South Kohala resorts.
