Maui County’s labor market grew slightly in April, continuing momentum from a milestone in March that marked the highest number of employed residents since the August 2023 wildfires.
About 79,600 people were employed in Maui County in April, according to a report from the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. The unemployment rate held at 3% for the second consecutive month.
Both as a state and a county, residents appear to be finding more work than in the majority of other places nationwide. Statewide, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained at 2.9%. Nationally, unemployment held steady at 4.2%.
Hawaiʻi reported 668,650 employed residents and 19,650 unemployed in April, bringing the state’s seasonally adjusted labor force to 688,300.
Maui County’s labor market has gradually rebounded since bottoming out in April 2020, when just 54,900 people were employed. Employment rose to 82,150 by April 2023 but declined after the August wildfires. In April 2024, the county recorded 78,100 employed residents.
Compared to the same month last year, job growth in Maui County was led by food services and drinking places (+700 jobs), accommodation (+500) and healthcare and social assistance (+400). Educational services added 100 jobs, marking a proportionally large increase. The manufacturing sector lost 200 jobs, a 17% decrease from the previous April.
Statewide, nonfarm payroll employment rose by 1,500 jobs from March to April. The largest gains occurred in:
- Leisure and Hospitality (+1,900), primarily in food services and drinking places
- Private Education and Health Services (+1,100), with growth concentrated in health care and social assistance
- Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (+500)
- Professional and Business Services (+400)
- Construction (+300)
- Information (+100)
Manufacturing employment remained flat. Job losses were seen in:
- Financial Activities (−200)
- Other Services (−200)
Government employment declined by 2,400, largely due to lower-than-average staffing at the Department of Education and the University of Hawaiʻi system.
Compared to the same month last year, Hawaiʻi’s nonfarm jobs increased by 17,000—an annual growth of 2.7%.
For more information and to access the state Labor Market Dashboard, click here.
