MEDIA RELEASE

The Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism has released the 2008 edition of the State of Hawaii Data Book.

The state’s Data Book is the most comprehensive statistical book about Hawaii and holds historical as well as up-to-date information from many different sources in a single compilation. 

It covers a broad range of statistical information in areas such as population, education, labor, energy, government, tourism and transportation.

“Our Data Book contains a wide range of information, which includes data collected by large federal programs such as the U.S. Census Bureau to data collected by our own surveys,” said DBEDT Director Ted Liu. “Data that can help us make good economic decisions are even more important during difficult economic times.”

This data book is the 41st edition of its series and produced by the Department’s Research and Economic Analysis Division. It contains 801 tables in 24 subjects.

The following are few of the facts revealed in this newest edition:

* Among the legal permanent residents admitted to the State of Hawaii in 2008, more than 53 percent were from the Philippines.

* The top private industry based on employment in 2008 in the neighbor island counties was accommodations, while the top industry for the City and County of Honolulu was food services and drinking places.

* Hawaii was ranked 34th in the nation among all the states and District of Columbia in 2008 on housing foreclosure rates, with less than 1 percent of Hawaii homes being foreclosed upon.

* Federal government spent $15.0 billion in Hawaii in Federal Fiscal Year 2008, a 6.7 percent increase from FY 2007. Federal government contributed 13.5 percent of Hawaii’s economy as measured by the Gross Domestic Product.

* In 2008, electricity price for residential use increased 34.7 percent from 2007 while total residential demand decreased by 3.6 percent.

* Between 2003 and 2008 the total number of persons served by State Homeless Programs has more than doubled from 11,676 to 23,426.

* In 2008, motor vehicle registration in all four counties decreased compared with the previous year. Overall for the State, motor vehicle registration decreased by nearly 7,000 vehicles.

* Fall 2008 enrollment for the University of Hawaii system increased 3,072, a 6.1 percent increase from 2007. The large number of this increase is the enrollment at UH community colleges. The enrollment at UH community college increased 2,554, almost 10 percent up from year 2007.

The State of Hawaii Data Book 2008 is available only on the DBEDT Internet site, at hawaii.gov/dbedt Tables there may be viewed or downloaded. 

Historical data for selected tables may also be accessed at that site.