Department of Numbers

Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, Hawaii Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Kahului fell 0.2 percentage points in May 2023 to 3.1%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.0 percentage points lower than the Hawaii rate. The unemployment rate in Kahului peaked in April 2020 at 33.4% and is now 30.3 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 2.8% in September 2021, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.3 percentage points. You can also compare Kahului unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate May 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
National 3.7% +0.3 +0.1
Hawaii 3.1% -0.2 -0.3
Kahului 3.1% -0.2 -0.2
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with May 2023 data as June metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Kahului, Hawaii, National

Kahului, Hawaii monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Kahului, Hawaii Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Kahului peaked in April 2020 at 29,088. There are now 26,359 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 2,370 in October 2021, the number of unemployed has now grown by 359.

Unemployed Persons May 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
Kahului 2,729 -144 -103

Number of Unemployed Persons

Kahului, Hawaii Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate
Hawaii
Unemployment Rate
Kahului
Unemployment Rate
Kahului
Unemployed
June
2023
3.6%
May
2023
3.7% 3.1% 3.1% 2,729
April
2023
3.4% 3.3% 3.3% 2,873
March
2023
3.5% 3.5% 3.4% 2,973
February
2023
3.6% 3.6% 3.4% 2,983
January
2023
3.4% 3.6% 3.5% 3,041
December
2022
3.5% 3.7% 3.6% 3,121
November
2022
3.6% 3.7% 3.6% 3,130
October
2022
3.7% 3.7% 3.6% 3,124
September
2022
3.5% 3.7% 3.5% 3,073
August
2022
3.7% 3.6% 3.4% 3,004
July
2022
3.5% 3.5% 3.4% 2,933

1. Metro area unemployment rates are now seasonally adjusted. The BLS has started publishing smoothed seasonally adjusted metropolitan area data which makes comparisons to state and national data more relevant than the unadjusted numbers.