Hawaii's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate edged up to 3.2 percent in February, a 0.1 percentage point increase over January, the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations reported today.

That compared with the national unemployment rate, which fell 0.1 percentage point to 4.8 percent in February. Hawaii ties New Mexico with the 6th lowest unemployment rate in the country.

Hawaii's February unemployment rate was up from 2.4 percent the same month a year earlier.

The number of non-farm payroll jobs fell to 626,700 in February, a 1,900 increase from January. There was a loss of 800 jobs in the government sector and a loss of 700 jobs in trade, transportation and utilities.

Leisure and hospitality jobs were unchanged, while the construction sector gained 300 jobs.