IN HAWAII
Isles unemployment dipped during May
Hawaii's statewide unemployment rate stood at 4.2 percent in May, compared with 4.3 percent in the same month last year, the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations said yesterday.May's rate was down from 4.4 percent in April. The month-to-month decline was mirrored by the national rate, which dipped to 5.5 percent last month.
Hawaii's rate of unemployment has now declined in five of the past six months, the department said.
In May, 570,600 Hawaii residents had jobs, while 24,900 were out of work.
At 3.8 percent, Oahu had the lowest unemployment rate in the state last month, followed by Maui (3.9 percent), Lanai (4.2 percent), Kauai (5.7 percent), the Big Island (6.2 percent) and Molokai (6.6 percent).
Throughout the state, nonagricultural jobs in May increased by 8,100 over April.
The bulk of the rise in jobs was due to an increase in support positions at the Department of Education following an inter-session break in April, officials said.
Including an increase in casual hires in the University of Hawaii system, the state education sector as a whole expanded by 7,200 jobs.
CPB ranked No. 4 in magazine survey
Central Pacific Bank parent CPB Inc. has once again cracked the upper echelons of the nation's top 100 financial institutions.The Honolulu-based bank's latest achievement is a No. 4 ranking in a U.S. Banker Magazine 2001 survey of midsized banks with assets of $1.8 billion to $5 billion. The list in the publication's June issue was based on five key benchmarks commonly used to measure a company's overall performance. The only banks ahead of CPB are First Banks America of San Francisco, CVB Financial Corp. of Ontario, Calif., and Independent Bank Corp. of Ionia, Mich.
Earlier this week, CPB announced that it had been ranked 25th by the ABA Banking Journal among publicly held bank holding companies, banks, thrifts and specialty lenders with assets of more than $1 billion as of Dec. 31, 2001.
CPB's earnings performance has caught the attention of investors, who have pushed the company's stock up 45.7 percent this year. The shares jumped $1.40, or 3.4 percent, yesterday to $42.84.
Pan Am, Ocean View buildings win awards
The Building Owners and Managers Association of Hawaii chose the Pan Am Building and the Ocean View Center as its Hale Pookela, or House of Excellence, Building of the Year award winners.The Pan Am Building, managed by Pam Wilson, was named the winner for buildings of more than 150,000 square feet. Ocean View Center, managed by Angie Hodge, won for smaller buildings.
The 22nd annual awards provided multiple honors in some cases. Ocean View Center was also named Best in Tenant and Community Relations; Pacific Guardian Tower, managed by Gary Yoshimoto, won the Best in Building Management and Best in Equipment Maintenance awards. Haseko Center, also managed by Wilson, won the Best in Landscape Maintenance award.
The Best in Janitorial Maintenance award was presented to The Stangenwald Building, managed by John Lyles.
In other news ...
>> United Airlines' flight attendant union leaders rejected a company proposal seeking a 5- percent wage cut, jeopardizing tentative agreement on concessions from pilots.>> Morton's Restaurant Group Inc. plans to scrap its agreement with Castle Harlan Inc. in favor of a rival bid from billionaire financier Carl Icahn, who raised his offer for the company by 11 percent to $63 million.
BACK TO TOP |
[Hawaii Inc.]
New jobs
>> Hospice Hawaii recently hired Jane Sharkey as director of clinical operations. Sharkey will work closely with Hospice Hawaii's interdisciplinary team on the administration of patient care for Oahu and Molokai patients. She has worked at various hospices in Colorado since 1987.>> Communications-Pacific Inc. has promoted Jackie Smythe to vice president and hired Jennifer Bowers as a new account supervisor and Dara Fujimoto as a senior account executive. Smythe recently was a director for the marketing and communications group. Bowers was most recently the marketing communications area manager at Paramount's Kings Island. Fujimoto previously was a senior account executive with the travel group at Stryker Weiner & Yokota Public Relations.
Promotions
>> Cateena Powers has been named business sales manager for Hawaii at AT&T Wireless. She will be responsible for the oversight of 10 account executives and will lead marketing efforts for AT&T Wireless products and services to small and medium-sized companies. Powers most recently served as retail store manager at an AT&T Wireless location in Washington, D.C.>> Grace Pacific Corp. has promoted Georgette Stevens to sales representative in its Quarry Department at Kapolei. She was previously the community support coordinator for the company and handled community relations activities in the Kapolei region.