Hawaii’s jobless rate has reached its lowest numbers in more than four decades.
The unemployment rate in Kauai for December was 1.7 percent, a decrease from 2 percent in November.
The Hawaii State Department of Labor &Industrial Relations said the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for December was 2 percent. Statewide, 668,600 were employed and 13,550 unemployed in December for a total seasonally adjusted labor force of 682,200.
“The revised 2.1 percent rate in November means that the 2 percent unemployment rate in December is the historically lowest unemployment rate on record dating back to 1976, under current methodology,” said Leonard Hoshijo, acting DLIR director.
The not seasonally adjusted rate for the state was 1.7 percent in December, compared to 2 percent in November.
Both initial claims and weeks claims decreased by 7.9 percent and by 1.2 percent respectively for unemployment benefits compared to one year ago. Over-the-month both initial claims and weeks claims increased by 8.6 percent and 2 percent respectively in December 2017.
Non-agricultural jobs increased by 2,100 in December over November. Among the major sectors, there were job gains in Educational &Health Services (plus 1,000), Professional &Business Services (plus 400), Financial Activities (plus 300), Other Services (plus 200) and Leisure &Hospitality (plus 100).
Government jobs went up by 1,400, largely due to the seasonal effect of a non-election year. In comparison with December 2016, total non-farm jobs have expanded by 7,200, or 1.1 percent.
Nationally, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.1 percent in December, the same as November.