MEDIA RELEASE

The Hawaii State Department of Labor & Industrial Relations has announced the seasonally adjusted annual unemployment rate for 2011 was 6.3 percent, down from 6.6 percent in 2010.

In a separate measure of employment, in 2011 over 2010, the annual average statewide job count increased by 7,100, or 1.2 percent, to 594,000, with notable job gains in Professional & Business Services (+3,000), Educational & Health Services (+2,900), and Leisure & Hospitality (+2,500).

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for December was 6.6 percent, a 0.1 percentage point increase from 6.5 percent in November. There were 591,700 employed and 41,900 unemployed in December, for a total seasonally adjusted labor force of 633,600.

Nationally, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate declined to 8.5 percent from the revised rate of 8.7 percent in November.

The unemployment rate figures for the State of Hawaii and the U.S. in this release are seasonally adjusted, in accordance with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) methodology. The not seasonally adjusted rate for the State declined to 6.2 percent in December from 6.6 percent in November.

Industry Payroll Employment (Establishment Survey)

Total seasonally adjusted nonagricultural jobs decreased by 1,100 jobs or -0.2 percent to 596,400 jobs from November to December.

Among major industry groups, job gains were experienced in Construction (+800), Leisure & Hospitality (+100), and Other Services (+100). Job losses occurred in Education & Health Services (-300), Financial Activities (-300), Trade, Transportation, & Utilities (-600), and Professional & Business Services (-800). Government employment declined by 200 jobs over-the-month.

In comparison with one year ago, total seasonally adjusted nonagricultural jobs have gone up by 6,100, or +1.0 percent, with the largest job expansion in Leisure & Hospitality (+2,300, +2.3%), Educational & Health Services (+1,900, +2.5%), and Professional & Business Services (+1,700, +2.3%)

* Construction (+800)
After a decline in November, employment picked up in this industry, in particular among commercial project special trade contractors.

* Leisure & Hospitality (+100)
For the third consecutive month, employment in this sector has remained quite stable at the 104,000-level.

* Other Services (+100)
This miscellaneous grouping has shown little change throughout 2011, hovering around the 26,500-level.

* Education & Health Services (-300)
A majority of the decrease in this industry grouping occurred in Educational Services.

* Financial Activities (-300)
Most of the over-the-month drop in this sector was in Real Estate & Rental & Leasing. However, since May, the number of jobs in Financial Activities has expanded by 1,200, with the bulk of the increase attributed to job gains in Finance & Insurance

* Trade, Transportation, & Utilities (-600)
After Retail Trade rose for the most part since June, job contraction in that sector was the primary cause for the employment decline in this industry grouping.

* Professional & Business Services (-800)
Moderate job losses in a wide spectrum of Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services contributed the most heavily to the decrease of this sector.

* Government (-200)
Slightly less hiring at the Department of Education resulted in the small decline in Government.