KAIMUKI — A statewide problem has hit home at Cafe Laufer. A sign in the window last Friday told the story: Closed due to labor shortage.

For the second time in two years, Cyrus Goo had to close his restaurant on Wai'alae Avenue earlier than usual because he didn't have enough workers.

Already he runs a bare-bones operation with 12 employees, most of them part-timers. So when one can't come to work, the shortage hurts.

"We had nobody available to work," said Goo, owner and pastry chef. "Everybody had something else to do. ... It's a hard situation, but you have no choice."

Hawai'i's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 2 percent in December 2006, the lowest in the country.

"Everybody's having trouble finding workers," said Rep. Barbara Marumoto, R-19th (Wai'alae Iki, Kalani Valley, Kahala). "And if they find workers, they're paying pretty good money to keep them. So it stretches out their expenses."

Michael Abe, chairman of the Kaimuki Neighborhood Board, said he's heard from businesses struggling to keep workers.

"It's been a real problem to find qualified, reliable workers," said Abe, an attorney with an office in Kaimuki. "It's been going on for a couple of years now, but it's been more severe lately."

Jim Gusukuma, owner of Rainbow Drive-In on the corner of Kapahulu and Kanaina avenues, is worried he'll have to compete for workers with a 7-Eleven opening soon next door.

For the past year and a half, he said he's down one or two employees a day. He has even considered cutting hours.

"It's been very difficult," said Gusukuma, who employs 35 workers at the drive-in. "We're finding we have to be more creative in our scheduling and more accommodating in order to keep employees. If we're not, they'll just go to another business and keep moving until they find something they like."

As an incentive, Gusukuma took his employees to Las Vegas in November 2006, when the restaurant was undergoing renovations. About 30 went on the five-day trip.

"It's been tough, not only for restaurants, but for other kinds of businesses as well," he said.

Despite closing early, Goo wound up staying until 8:30 p.m., turning away customers and answering phones.

"People were understanding, but I felt bad for the ones who drove all the way here," Goo said. "We can't let that happen again."

Reach Catherine E. Toth at ctoth@honoluluadvertiser.com.