Hawai'i's unemployment rate continued its steady climb in June, rising to a seasonally adjusted 3.1 percent that was still good enough to tie the Islands for second-lowest in the nation with three other states, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Until May, Hawai'i's monthly unemployment rate had led the country for 24 straight months. Florida and South Dakota shared the No. 1 spot in June with seasonally adjusted rates of 3.0 percent. Hawai'i's 3.1 percent unemployment rate tied it with Nebraska, Utah and Virginia.

The national unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.6 percent.

Hawai'i was one of 19 states that saw increases in June. Compared with the previous year, the Islands' unemployment rate climbed 0.4 percentage point — from 2.7 percent.

The U.S. Department of Labor called the rate increase "significant," along with jumps by New Jersey (0.6 percentage point), Rhode Island (0.5 point) and Arkansas (0.3 point).

Hawai'i started the year with a 15-year record low unemployment rate of 2.4 percent in January. But the rate steadily nudged up each month since, going from 2.5 percent in February to 2.6 percent in March, 2.8 percent in April and 3 percent in May.

The nation's highest jobless rates in June were in Mississippi (7.1 percent), South Carolina (6.7), Alaska (6.6) and Michigan (6.3).

Reach Dan Nakaso at dnakaso@honoluluadvertiser.com.