Hawaii unemployment
falls to 3.3%

Hawaii's unemployment rate fell to a seasonally adjusted 3.3 percent last month, according to state data released yesterday, showing further tightening in an already strong labor market.

The state's unemployment rate was 3.3 percent in October, an improvement from the 4.5 percent unemployment in October 2003, according to statistics from the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

However, last month's rate bumped up a bit from the nation-leading 3.1 percent unemployment in September 2004.

Hawaii's unemployment rate remained well below the national rate of 5.5 percent in October, and has remained at least 2 percentage points below the national average since April.

Hawaii's work force grew by 1,500 jobs last month to a seasonally adjusted 589,000, not including agricultural jobs, while the number of unemployed dropped to 20,600 from 27,950 a year earlier.

The hospitality and leisure industries added 1,000 jobs, while the trade, transportation and utilities sector added another 1,000 jobs, thanks to retail hiring and positions created for the cruise industry.