BUSINESS BRIEFS
Honolulu ranks 45th in U.S. income
Advertiser Staff and News Services
Honolulu residents earn the 45th-highest income in the nation's metropolitan areas, according to a new federal report.
The federal Bureau of Economic Analysis reports that Honolulu had a per capita personal income of just under $40,000 in 2006, an increase of more than 6 percent over the previous year.
Nationwide, the average income was nearly $37,000 in 2006, an increase of just under 6 percent from the previous year.
The study evaluates Honolulu among 363 metropolitan statistical areas in the country.
The data show the city has the 53rd-largest metropolitan population in the nation, at nearly 907,000.
HAWAI'I IN-FLIGHT MAGAZINE HONORED
Hana Hou!, the in-flight magazine for Hawaiian Airlines, has received the 2008 Maggie Award for Best Travel/In-Transit Consumer magazine from the Western Publications Association.
The Maggies, dubbed "the Oscars of the magazine industry," recognize excellence in consumer and trade publications for print and online media.
This year's awards received nearly 2,000 entries representing more than 500 magazines.
The August/September 2007 issue of Hana Hou! with the cover story "Hanai Tales" that focused on Hawaiian family values was honored with the Maggies' top award in the travel category.
UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS LOW IN ISLES
Hawai'i's buoyant job market kept it near the bottom among states in claims filed for unemployment insurance.
Hawai'i residents filed some 1,400 initial claims for the week ending May 17, up 300 from the same week last year.
Those claims represent 0.4 percent of the total workforce, tying the state for fourth-lowest in the country on a percentage basis.
Hawai'i's unemployment rate was 3.3 percent in April.
HYATT RESORTS CHIPS IN FOR CHARITY
Hyatt Resorts Hawaii, including resorts on Kaua'i, Maui and O'ahu, raised $62,791 for the recent annual Visitor Industry Charity Walk, with the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa the single largest business contributor to the walk.
This year's walk, themed "Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow: Over a Thousand Miles of Smiles," included more than 8,600 walkers raising a total of $1,050,000 for Hawai'i charities. The Charity Walk has raised more than $20 million since its inception in 1978.
GET CONFIDENTIAL SBA ADVICE JUNE 17
The Small Business Administration will hold an SBA Resource Day on June 17 at the Bank of Hawaii's Ward Branch.
An SBA business development specialist will advise small companies on the financial and technical assistance available through SBA and its resource partners.
For the 30-minute confidential discussion between 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., a scheduled appointment is highly recommended.
"SBA offers financial assistance, government contracting opportunities, and connects owners with a network of support throughout the federal government and with our local resource partners," said Andrew Poepoe, district director. "We host individual counseling programs and provide training for nearly every aspect of business management."
To register, contact David Brown at 541-2990, ext. 215, or david.brown@sba.gov. Online registration also is available at www.sba.gov/hi.
