4th Quarter 2009

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     Hawaii’s labor market conditions continued the negative trends that began in 2008 in the third quarter of 2009.  While the civilian labor force decreased moderately, civilian employment decreased substantially and civilian unemployment increased substantially in the quarter.  As a result, Hawaii’s unemployment rate increased to 7.3 percent in the quarter.

     In the third quarter of 2009, Hawaii’s civilian labor force totaled 646,650 people, a decrease of 8,850 people or 1.4 percent from the same quarter of 2008 (Tables 1 and A-1).  In the first three quarters of 2009, civilian labor force decreased 1.1 percent from the same period last year. From 1983 to 2008, Hawaii’s civilian labor force only decreased in one year (2002).

     Civilian employment decreased much more than the decrease in civilian labor force in the third quarter of 2009 from the same quarter last year.  In the third quarter of 2009, 599,550 people were employed in Hawaii which is 27,100 people or 4.3 percent less than that in the third quarter of 2008 (Tables 1 and A-2).  In the first three quarters of 2009, total civilian employment decreased 4.6 percent from the same period last year.

     The rapid decrease in civilian employment and modest decrease in civilian labor force means that the number of unemployed increased sharply.  The number of civilian unemployed averaged 47,100 in the third quarter of 2009, a 63.5 percent increase from the third quarter of 2008 (Table A-3).  In the first three quarters of 2009, the number of unemployed increased about 91 percent from the same period last year.

     Due to a rapid increase in the number of unemployed, the unemployment rate (not seasonally adjusted) increased from 4.4 percent in the third quarter of 2008 to 7.3 percent in the third quarter of 2009 (Table A-4).  In the first three quarters of 2009, unemployment rate averaged 7.0 percent, significantly higher than that of 2008.  Initial liable claims for unemployment (the number of people who lost jobs in Hawaii and moved to other states), increased 10.6 percent or 115 people in the third quarter of 2009 compared to the same quarter of 2008 (Table A-27).

     In the third quarter of 2009, Hawaii’s civilian wage and salary jobs averaged 595,900 jobs, a decrease of 21,200 jobs or 3.4 percent from the same quarter of 2008 (Table A-5).  This was the sixth consecutive quarterly decrease in jobs.  In the first three quarters of 2009, wage and salary jobs decreased 3.2 percent from the same period last year.

     During the third quarter of 2009, government jobs remained relatively constant (Table A-21) compared to the same quarter of 2008.  The increases in Federal government jobs (Table A-22) and Local government jobs (Table A-24) were almost completely offset by the losses in State government jobs (Table A-23).  In the first three quarters of 2009, average government jobs increased 1.7 percent or 2,150 jobs from the same period last year.

     In the third quarter of 2009, among the fourteen non-agricultural private industries, only two sectors had small job growth compared to the third quarter of 2008.  Health Care and Social Assistance added 650 jobs or 1.1 percent (Table A-16), followed by Educational Services with 200 jobs or 1.4 percent (Table A-15).

     All other twelve private industries suffered significant job losses in the third quarter of 2009.  Seven of them had suffered more than 1,000 job losses. Natural Resources, Mining and Construction was highest (Table A-7).  Visitor-related industries also saw job losses including: Retail Trade lost 3,000 jobs or 4.3 percent (Table A-10); Food Services and Drinking Places lost 2,600 jobs or 4.5 percent (Table A-19); Accommodation lost 2,350 jobs or 6.3 percent (Table A-18); and Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities lost 1,350 jobs or 4.8 percent (Table A-11.