TROUBLE HIRING IN HAWAII

Rosy statistics no solace
to out-of-work isle man

Roy Dean II is a bit tired of hearing that Hawaii has a job seeker's market.

He has a degree and more than 25 years' experience in technology, "and I can't even get a bite," he said in an e-mail.

Dean is a Vietnam veteran and former systems administrator for Cingular Wireless.

A previous Hawaii resident in the 1970s and 1980s, he is again living in Hawaii, in the Puna District of the Big Island.

A person's geographical location can be a factor in finding a suitable job, said Colleen LaClair, deputy director of the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

Dean has sent out resumes to Oahu companies.

"I'm willing to relocate to Honolulu. I can do that but nobody's been very responsive," he said. "I would think people would contact me."

Expectations and perceptions might be a roadblock.

"It could also be, too, with more experience ... I think sometimes expectations of salary ranges may not meet with what employers are right off the bat offering," LaClair said.

Dean has removed his salary background from his resume to eliminate perceptions of his salary requirements.

Dean is 55 and knows his age might be a factor, even though it is unlawful to consider age in the hiring process.

"The age has a little to do with it, the fact that I'm on the Big Island -- there's not a whole lot going on here," he said.

Dean could start his own business, but a $2-a-square-foot lease rate quote he was given for a new marketplace in Pahoa was discouraging.

"I may be down but I'm not out," Dean said. "I do perform better when things are at their worst."