Hawaii jobless rate
ends year at 3 percent

Hawaii's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate plunged more than a point to 3 percent last month as the state's employers added 18,400 more nonagricultural jobs than a year ago.

The state's strong economy pushed down the jobless rate from 4.4 percent in December 2003 and down three-tenths of a point from 3.3 percent in November 2004.

Hawaii continues to easily outpace the national jobless rate, which fell last month to 5.4 percent from 5.7 percent a year ago but stayed at the same level as in November.

"Significant job expansion along with low unemployment throughout 2004 was a direct reflection of Hawaii's strong economic condition during the year," said Nelson Bifetel, director of the state's Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

The number of people in the state looking for work, including agricultural jobs, rose 0.9 percent to 633,250 last month from 627,450 a year ago but slipped by 0.3 percent from 635,350 in November. There were 614,000 people employed last month, up from 599,650 a year ago but virtually flat with November.

There were 592,600 nonagricultural jobs statewide in December with trade, transportation and utilities; educational and health services; leisure and hospitality; and government all showing gains from a year ago. The total, however, was down 800 from November.

For the year, Hawaii's average statewide job count rose by 14,400, or 2.5 percent to 581,700. Included in those numbers was an increase of 13,100 jobs, or 2.9 percent, in the private sector.

Among the islands, all but Lanai showed drops in their not-seasonally adjusted jobless rates last month from a year ago. Honolulu fell to 2.5 percent from 3.7 percent; the Big Island declined to 3.8 percent from 5.4 percent; Kauai decreased to 3.3 percent from 4.6 percent; Maui fell to 2.4 percent from 4 percent; and Molokai dropped to 8.8 percent from 10.1 percent. Lanai remained flat at 2.7 percent.

The state does not break out seasonally adjusted numbers for the islands.

The Labor Department said next month it will change the method in which it accounts for its labor force to comply with new procedures instituted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The state Labor Department said it will release its January data around March 10.