‘It’s an
employee’s
market’

Hawaii again is tops in
the nation for the portion
of its people at work

Hawaii has had the lowest jobless rate in the nation for nine of the last 16 months, according to the latest unemployment figures released by the state yesterday.

Hawaii's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for April was 2.9 percent, the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations said.

No other state had a rate below 3 percent, officials said.

April's rate in the islands was slightly up, from 2.8 percent from March.

The national rate for April stood at 5.2 percent, the same as in March.

In April of last year, Hawaii's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.4 percent, while the national rate was 5.5 percent.

Hawaii's seasonally adjusted labor force in April stood at 631,050, and consisted of 612,600 employed and 18,500 unemployed, state labor officials said.

Hawaii saw its labor force expand 2.6 percent over the year, while employment grew 3.1 percent, officials said.

The state's seasonally adjusted nonagricultural job count in April stood at 594,700, an increase of 1,800 over March, the officials said.

Since December 2002, Hawaii's economy has added 30,900 new jobs, the state said.

"It's an employee's market, which is great news to those graduating from college and high school this month," department Director Nelson B. Befitel said.