Maui County’s unemployment still highest in the state
Department using email, robocalls to attempt to resolve outstanding issues
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The Maui News
Maui County's jobless rate continues to be the highest in the state at 33.4 percent as of May, according to data released Thursday by the state.
The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations reported the unemployment rate statewide at 22.5 percent. After Maui County, Kauai County had the second highest rates at 29.9 percent, followed by Hawaii County at 21.1 percent and Honolulu County at 19.9 percent.
Unemployment on Maui island was 34.5 percent, while Molokai was at 14 percent and Lanai was at 5 percent. This is compared to the 2.4 percent jobless rates on Maui, 5.9 percent on Molokai and 0.9 percent on Lanai in May 2019.
Seasonally adjusted numbers -- which account for summer and holiday season hiring -- were not available for individual counties as of Thursday. The state's seasonally adjusted jobless rate in May was 22.6 percent.
While initial claims for unemployment insurance set records in March and April, initial claims in May declined 67.6 percent. Weeks claims, however, expanded by 116.1 percent as more claims were processed by the department and businesses remained closed.
The department also reported that it has issued nearly $1.6 billion in benefits since March 1. Deputy Director Anne Perreira-Eustaquio said that 90 percent of the valid claims that have come in since the start of the pandemic have been processed and paid out.
As of Thursday, there had been:
• 234,398 claims filed statewide.
• 68,140 invalid claims filed.
• 12,876 valid claims awaiting verification.
• 153,382 valid claims requiring department action.
• 137,887 claims paid.
• 15,495 claims requiring department action as of June 9.
Over the last week, the department has emailed and placed robocalls to claimants to resolve outstanding issues, including the requirement to file weekly or biweekly claim certifications. Perreira-Eustaquio said that the telephone numbers (833) 901-2272 and (833) 901-2275 are the department trying to reach people to process claims.
For more information, visit labor.hawaii.gov/covid-19-labor-faqs/.