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Unemployment Hawaii's jobless rate in January was 4.1 percent, continuing the low-level streak that started in late 1999 and staying below the year-earlier level, which was 4.9 percent.
rate drops to 4.1%
The decline from 4.9% a year ago
continues a recent trend that
shows an improving economyBy Russ Lynch
Star-Bulletin
For the last four months in particular, the statewide unemployment level has been lower than any month since 1993, according to state Labor Department researcher Rey Domingo.
Economists say the lower unemployment levels, a far cry from the 7 percent rate of mid-1998, show that there is a real improvement in the Hawaii economy.
The January statewide unemployment number, not seasonally adjusted, was higher than December's 3.6 percent but still lower than the national unadjusted level of 4.7 percent for January.
The island work force slipped slightly to 598,750 in January, from 602,300 in January 2000, but the number of people with jobs remained almost unchanged at 573,900 in the latest month compared with 573,050 in the year-earlier month, according to a separate state survey.
There were 24,850 unemployed in January, a drop of 4,400 or 15 percent from 29,250 in January 2000.
This time, Maui had the lowest unemployment level in the state, a spot usually held by Oahu. The Maui jobless level averaged 3.4 percent in January, down from 4.8 percent in the previous January.
Oahu came in a close second at 3.5 percent, down from a year-earlier 4.3 percent.
Lanai had a 3.6 percent jobless rate in January, compared with 5 percent in January 2000, and Lanai followed at 3.6 percent, down from 5 percent.
The Big Island's January jobless rate crept up slightly to 6.6 percent, from 6.5 percent a year earlier. Kauai was at 7.5 percent, down from 7.9 percent, and Molokai's January rate of 14.8 percent was up from 11.6 percent in January 2000.
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