Hawai'i jobless rate still climbing

Advertiser Staff

Hawai'i's unemployment rate, which has been rising slowly all year, continued to climb in June, reaching 5.0 percent, up from 4.3 percent the month before and 4.6 percent in June 2000, the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations said.

The unemployment rate reached a nine-year low of 3.6 percent in December, falling below the U.S. rate last year for the first time in almost five years.

For the last three months Hawai'i's unemployment rate has again remained above the U.S. average. National unemployment was 4.7 percent in June.

In Hawai'i, 30,000 residents were unemployed and 573,500 employed in June.

The state attributed part of the increase in unemployment to seasonal changes.

Private-sector jobs in educational services fell by 700. Business services decreased by 200 jobs as temporary agencies slowed down. Wholesale trade was down by 200 jobs.

Seasonal hiring in some private-sector industries such as amusement and recreation, and private organizations with summer fun programs gained a total of 400 jobs.

Moloka'i registered the highest unemployment rate at 17.2 percent, followed by the Big Island at 8.4 percent and Kaua'i with 7.9 percent.

The island with the lowest unemployment was Lana'i, at 3.7 percent.