Hawai'i was one of 43 states showing gains in online help-wanted advertising in May, with Honolulu labor demand rising over last year's levels, according to The Conference Board Help-Wanted Online Data Series.

The study also found that over the past four months, Hawai'i was among five states where drops in labor demand have either leveled off or increased. Hawai'i advertised vacancies were up 1,500 from April. It also noted Honolulu had 13,900 ads, or almost 30 percent more than it had a year earlier.