MEDIA RELEASE
The state Department of Labor & Industrial Relations has announced the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for February was 5.2 percent, the same rate as in January.
Statewide, there were 617,250 employed and 33,750 unemployed in February, for a total seasonally adjusted labor force of 651,050. Nationally, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate declined to 7.7 percent, from 7.9 percent in January.
Initial claims and weeks claims for unemployment benefits were both down by 48 claims or -2.6% and 2,669 claims or -18.5%, respectively compared to one year ago.
Between January and February 2013, initial claims and weeks claims dropped by 12.2% and 0.9%, respectively.
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 decreased to 5.1 percent in February from the revised rate of 5.3 percent in January.
Industry Payroll Employment (Establishment Survey)
In another measure of employment, total seasonally adjusted nonagricultural jobs declined by 2,500 in February over January. Over-the-month expansion occurred in Financial Activities, which added 200 jobs.
Over-the-month decreases in jobs took place in Construction and Manufacturing (-100 each), Education & Health Services (-200), Trade, Transportation, & Utilities (-400), Professional & Business Services (-500), and Leisure & Hospitality (-900). In Professional & Business Services, a post-holiday seasonal drop in Employment Services came a month later than typically (in January).
Within the public sector, employment in Government contracted by 900 jobs, with the bulk of the drop in State Government. Compared with one year ago, total seasonally adjusted jobs have risen by 9,100, or 1.5 percent.
Since February 2012, there have been gains of 1,000+ jobs in the following major sectors: Construction (+2,300), Trade, Transportation, & Utilities (+1,600), Professional & Business Services (+1,500), Leisure & Hospitality (+1,500), Other Services (+1,400), and Educational & Health Services (+1,100).
