4th Quarter 2009

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     Overall economic conditions were mostly negative across counties in the third quarter of 2009.  Civilian employment, wage and salary jobs,  tax revenues, and the values of private building permits were down in all counties, compared to the third quarter of 2008 (Tables 2 through 5).  The performance of the visitor sector was mixed.  Total visitor days by air increased in Honolulu but decreased in all neighbor island counties.

     In the third quarter of 2009, General Excise and Use Tax (GET) revenues (excluding the Honolulu County Surcharge) decreased $63.3 million or 11.6 percent in Honolulu and decreased $13.9 million in the three neighbor island counties compared to the same quarter of 2008.  The Net Individual Income Tax collections decreased $15.6 million or 4.7 percent in Honolulu and decreased $10.2 million in the neighbor island counties for the third quarter of 2009. Transient Accommodation Tax collections decreased $2.8 million in Honolulu and decreased $4.3 million in the neighbor island counties.

     In the third quarter of 2009, Honolulu lost 11,700 or 2.6 percent wage and salary jobs over the third quarter of 2008. The largest job losses occurred in Natural Resources, Mining and Construction (lost 3,100 jobs).  Several visitor-related industries all had large losses including Retail Trade (lost 2,100 jobs), Food Services and Drinking Places (lost 1,200 jobs), and Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities (lost 1,100 jobs).  Job gain in Federal Government was more than offset by job loss in State Government.  In the private sector, only Health Care and Social Assistance and Educational Services added jobs in the quarter.  In the first three quarters of 2009, Honolulu lost 10,400 or 2.3 percent wage and salary jobs over the same period of 2008.

     In the third quarter of 2009, Hawaii County lost 2,700 wage and salary jobs or 4.0 percent from the third quarter of 2008. Natural Resources, Mining and Construction lost the most jobs in the quarter (1,100 jobs), followed by Accommodation (550 jobs) and Food Services and Drinking Places (350 jobs).  In the first three quarters of 2009, Hawaii County lost 3,200 or 4.7 percent wage and salary jobs over the same period of 2008.

     Maui County saw a net loss of 4,600 jobs in the third quarter of 2009, a 6.4 percent decrease from the same quarter of 2008.  Accommodation lost the most jobs (1,100 jobs) in the quarter, followed by Food Services and Drinking Places (900 jobs) and Natural Resources, Mining and Construction (800 jobs).  In the first three quarters of 2009, Maui County lost 4,550 or 6.2 percent wage and salary jobs over the same period of 2008.
  
     In the third quarter of 2009, Kauai County lost 2,150 wage and salary jobs or 7.1 percent from the same quarter last year. Accommodation lost the most jobs (600 jobs) in the quarter, followed by Professional and Business Services (400 jobs).  In the first three quarters of 2009, Kauai County lost 1,950 or 6.4 percent wage and salary jobs over the same period of 2008.

     Total visitor arrivals by air increased in Honolulu and Hawaii County, but decreased in Maui and Kauai in the third quarter of 2009 compared to the same quarter last year.  Visitor days by air increased only in Honolulu, and decreased in all neighbor island counties in the quarter.  In the first three quarters of 2009, visitor arrivals by air in Honolulu, Hawaii, Maui, and Kauai decreased 5.5 percent, 9.0 percent, 10.9 percent, and 11.8 percent, respectively, over the same period of 2008.

     In the third quarter of 2009, the value of total private building permits decreased in all neighbor island counties from the same quarter of 2008. In dollar terms, Hawaii County decreased the most at $89.0 million or 50.6 percent, followed by Kauai at $52.4 million or 59.1 percent, and Maui at $1.4 million or 3.1 percent. The value of total private building permits increased only in Honolulu increased by $11.5 million or 3.0 percent (Table E-8) in the quarter.  In the first three quarters of 2009, the value of total private building permits in Honolulu, Maui, Hawaii, and Kauai decreased 21.6 percent, 55.6 percent, 60.3 percent, and 23.1 percent, respectively, over the same period of 2008.