KAILUA, KONA, Hawai'i — An acute labor shortage on the Big Island is prompting employers to reach out across the Pacific to fill job openings.

"It's a multipronged problem," says Mark McGuffie, executive director of the Hawai'i Island Economic Development Board. "We've really got some work to do, but we've also got some things that are starting to percolate."

The state labor force topped 650,000 in August, with 632,200 employed and 18,200 without jobs. In August, the state returned to a familiar place, once again posting the lowest unemployment rate in the nation: 2.8 percent, down from 3 percent in July. Nationwide unemployment was at 4.7 percent.

Although companies across the state are in need of workers, the situation is particularly acute on the western side of the Big Island. The Oct. 1, edition of West Hawai'i Today included five pages of job vacancies, from landscape maintenance and golf cart attendants to hotel executives, nurses and construction project managers. Some ads listed signing bonuses of up to $1,000.

The availability of jobs on the island sparked the private nonprofit development board to create Kama'aina Come Home, a program designed to entice those who had moved way to return to the Big Island.

Many of the state's young professionals historically have had to leave the Islands to pursue careers, but that is changing as the high-tech, biotech and niche industries are growing.

For example, McGuffie said, a new agriculture research facility in Hilo is expected to create 200 jobs, including 30 positions for scientists with Ph.D. degrees.

Now, McGuffie said, his job is making former residents aware of opportunities at home, specifically by conducting job fairs up and down the West Coast.

"The program shows quite a bit of promise," he said.

One advantage is that former residents often have an existing support system of family or friends, including a place to live where they can avoid rising rents, as well as a familiarity with Hawai'i, its lifestyle and culture.

Job fairs with the Hawai'i Island and Maui economic development boards and state Labor Department are scheduled for Oct. 13 in Las Vegas and Oct. 15 in Torrance, Calif. Spring job fairs are slated for San Jose, Calif.; Portland, Ore.; and Seattle.

Jon Sakurai-Horita, president of Kama'aina Careers, said targeting former Hawai'i residents is a logical step for some companies.

"People have tried their best to get workers who are living there already," he said.

"It's difficult to find employees because of housing and salaries."

Mainland recruiting used to be done only at the executive level, but that's changing.

Sakurai-Horita said he is busy planning several Hawai'i-themed events on the West Coast. "There is a big group of kama'aina who do want to come back," he said.

The Big Island can tap that market, he said.

"We have the lowest unemployment rate on this island ever. It's at 3.3 percent, but realistically it's about 5 percent in Hilo and down at 2 percent in Kona," McGuffie said.

"And a large chunk of that are unemployable for one reason or another. Right now, we have a civilian labor force of between 84,000 and 85,000, the largest ever."

Typically, McGuffie said, Hawai'i has 28,000 jobs that need to filled each year. High school graduates total about 15,000 each year, with more than 3,000 leaving the Islands to pursue college or employment.

"We've got an average job gap of 16,000 and that alone means we need to attract people back or find new ones," McGuffie said.

Along the Kohala and Kona coasts, hotels and resorts still account for a huge number of jobs, and right now they have a huge number of vacancies.

"Recruitment is always a challenge" said Kurt Matsumoto, general manager of the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows. "We just have to get creative."

Hotels typically are in a constant state of recruitment, Matsumoto said, and there is a need in every area. Salaries range from minimum wage plus gratuities to about $15 an hour.

Jane Sawyer, public information officer with the Small Business Administration's Honolulu office, said it's not only the bigger companies that are suffering.

"Small businesses are at a disadvantage because any vacancy is more critical and companies may not be able to offer the same benefits as larger companies," she said.

"They are having to ask what is competitive."