Census Bureau reports on Hawaii's 'older workers' | The Honolulu Advertiser

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Census Bureau reports on Hawaii's 'older workers' | The Honolulu Advertiser | Hawaii's Newspaper

Updated at 8:05 a.m., Monday, November 26, 2007

Census Bureau reports on Hawaii's 'older workers'

Advertiser Staff

With national projections indicating that one in five people will be 65 or older by 2030, compared with one in eight today, older workers will likely compose an increasingly large portion of each state's workforce, a U.S. Census Bureau report released today said.

"The Geographic Distribution and Characteristics of Older Workers in Hawaii: 2004" was released this morning, offering information for firms planning for the eventual loss of experienced workers and the payout of pensions.

The Census Bureau used data from the Local Employment Dynamics program to show geographic distribution and the economic dynamics among private-sector workers 55 and older. The report included comparison among Hawai'i's four counties and between metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas.

The report can be found at: www.census.gov/prod/2007pubs/ledow07hi.pdf.

It defines "older workers" as those 55 and older.

A sampling of the reports findings:

None of the state's four counties in 2004 had 20 percent or more of the total workforce of 55 or older.

Statewide, 15.9 percent of workers were 55 and older. Hawai'i County had the highest percentage (16.4), followed by Honolulu (16.0), Kaua'i (15.8) and Maui(14.6).

Statewide, 3.6 percent of workers were 65 and older. The percentage of workers 65 and older in 2004 was: Hawai'i 3.9, Honolulu 3.6, Kaua'i 3.6, and Maui 3.1.

Of the total workforce employed in metro areas, about 16 percent was 55 and older. In nonmetro-area workplaces the proportion was 15.5 percent.

Agricultural, forestry, fishing and hunting sectors had the highest area of older workers at 32.7 percent.

At 15.1 percent, the industry most likely to employ older workers in 2004 was Accommodations and Food Services. The industry was No. 1 in three of the four counties for older workers.

Statewide, workers 55 and older earned $3,307 per month in 2004.

The highest paying industry for older workers was utilities, where the average pay was $7,433 per month. Arts, entertainment and recreation received the lowest pay, $2,014 per month.

Hawai'i is the sixth state the Census Bureau has reviewed in its series of older workers.

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