May unemployment rate in Hawai‘i at 2.5%, a slight increase from month before
The unemployment rate statewide ticked up slightly in May compared with the month before.
Hawai‘i Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism reports the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for May was 2.5% compared to the revised rate of 2.4% in April.
There were 672,100 people employed in May and 17,450 unemployed, with a total seasonally adjusted labor force of 689,600 statewide. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in May for the nation was 4.3%, the same as in March and April.
Separate measure of employment
Total nonagricultural jobs increased by 1,900 from April to May.
Job gains were experienced in:
- Leisure and hospitality (+1,400). Note: the largest job expansion was in food services and drinking places.
- Professional and business services (+300).
- Trade, transportation and utilities (+200).
- Other services (+200).
- Government employment (+100).
Employment remained unchanged in construction, manufacturing, information and financial activities.
Job losses were seen in private education and health services (-300).
Non-farm jobs increased by a total of 4,000, or 0.6%, from May 2025 to May of this year.
Unemployment rates for Hawai‘i and the United States nationwide are seasonally adjusted in accordance with U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics methodology.
The not-seasonally adjusted rate for the state was also 2.5% in May, again compared with 2.4% in April.
State of Hawai‘i seasonally adjusted labor force data**
| MAY 2026 | APRIL 2026 | MAY 2025* | |
| Labor Force | 689,600 | 687,850 | 687,400 |
| Employment | 672,100 | 671,050 | 671,000 |
| Unemployment | 17,450 | 16,850 | 16,350 |
* benchmarked data; ** totals might not add because of rounding
Unemployment Rates
| MAY 2026 | APRIL 2026 | MAY 2025* | |
| Seasonally Adjusted | |||
| STATE | 2.5% | 2.4% | 2.4% |
| UNITED STATES | 4.3% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| * * * * * * * * * * * * * * | * * * * * * * * * * * * * * | * * * * * * * * * * * * * * | * * * * * * * * * * * * * * |
| Not Seasonally Adjusted | |||
| STATE | 2.5% | 2.4% | 2.2% |
| HONOLULU | 2.4% | 2.3% | 2.1% |
| HAWAI‘I COUNTY | 3% | 3% | 2.5% |
| KAUA‘I COUNTY | 2.1% | 2.2% | 1.9% |
| MAUI COUNTY | 2.5% | 2.6% | 2.5% |
| Maui | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.4% |
| Moloka‘i | 1.9% | 2.4% | 3.5% |
| Lāna‘i | 3.3% | 3.5% | 3.3% |
| UNITED STATES | 4.1% | 4% | 4% |
County and island rates are not seasonally adjusted; * benchmarked data
Seasonal adjustment
- Seasonal fluctuations in the number of employed and unemployed people reflect hiring and layoff patterns accompanying regular events such as the winter holiday season and summer vacation season.
- These variations make it difficult to tell whether month-to-month changes in employment and unemployment are because of normal seasonal patterns or changing economic conditions.
- Therefore, history of the labor force data and job count data are used to identify the seasonal movements and calculate the size and direction of these movements.
- A seasonal adjustment factor is then developed and applied to the estimates to eliminate the effects of regular seasonal fluctuations on the data, giving more meaningful data comparisons between months or with an annual average.
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