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The Maui News
Molokai's unemployment rate jumped to 13.9 percent in June, the highest in the state and nearly double the island's unemployment rate of 7 percent a year ago, according to the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.
Molokai's unemployment has risen since the start of the year, going from 5.2 percent in January to 10.5 percent in May and 13.9 percent in June. During the same period of time, Maui's unemployment rate has mostly stayed under 5 percent, while Lanai's has fluctuated from 7.3 percent in January to 3 percent in April and 4.5 percent in June.
In May, when asked about Molokai and Lanai's higher unemployment rates, a University of Hawaii economist cautioned against putting too much stock in the data, pointing out that both islands have experienced fluctuations in data before and that economic conditions follow slower cyclical patterns rather than month-to-month changes.
As a whole, Maui County's unemployment rate was 4.9 percent in June, the second highest after Kauai County at 5.1 percent, according to the report. Hawaii County's unemployment rate was at 4.4 percent, followed by Honolulu County at 4 percent.
Hawaii's jobless rate as a state was 4.2 percent in June, slightly above the national rate of 3.8 percent.
The numbers were not seasonally adjusted, meaning they did not take into account seasonal hiring and layoff patterns.
In June, Hawaii had a total labor force of 677,250, including 648,350 employed and 28,900 unemployed. In June 2021, the labor force totaled 673,250, with 633,350 people employed and 39,900 unemployed.
From May to June, Hawaii saw jobs increase by 300 in information, by 300 in financial activities, by 300 in education and health services, by 300 in leisure and hospitality, by 200 in professional and business services and by 200 in trade, transportation and utilities.
Employment in construction, manufacturing and other services remained unchanged, the report said.