Hawaiʻi unemployment hits 2.8%, a two-year high
Hawaiʻi’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 2.8% in September, up from 2.7% in August and 2.2% in January, according to the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. It was the sixth increase this year and the highest rate since September 2024.
The state’s labor force reached 694,900, the largest since June 2018. Former DBEDT chief economist Eugene Tian said more people are returning to work because of inflation and the cost of living, and the labor force is growing faster than the number of jobs.
Hawaiʻi now has the fifth-lowest unemployment rate in the country, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
What it means: The rate is still low by national standards, but more people looking for work than there are jobs can make it harder to find a position, especially for new job seekers.
