Department of Numbers

Urban Honolulu, Hawaii Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Urban Honolulu fell 0.1 percentage points in April 2023 to 3.2%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.1 percentage points lower than the Hawaii rate. The unemployment rate in Urban Honolulu peaked in April 2020 at 19.3% and is now 16.1 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 3.0% in December 2021, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.2 percentage points. You can also compare Urban Honolulu unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate April 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
National 3.4% -0.1 -0.2
Hawaii 3.3% -0.2 0.0
Urban Honolulu 3.2% -0.1 0.0
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with April 2023 data as May metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Urban Honolulu, Hawaii, National

Urban Honolulu, Hawaii monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Urban Honolulu, Hawaii Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Urban Honolulu peaked in April 2020 at 83,951. There are now 69,472 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 13,491 in January 2022, the number of unemployed has now grown by 988. Urban Honolulu employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Urban Honolulu, Hawaii) is also available.

Unemployed Persons April 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
Urban Honolulu 14,479 -795 -243

Number of Unemployed Persons

Urban Honolulu, Hawaii Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate
Hawaii
Unemployment Rate
Urban Honolulu
Unemployment Rate
Urban Honolulu
Unemployed
May
2023
3.7%
April
2023
3.4% 3.3% 3.2% 14,479
March
2023
3.5% 3.5% 3.3% 15,274
February
2023
3.6% 3.6% 3.5% 15,949
January
2023
3.4% 3.6% 3.6% 16,487
December
2022
3.5% 3.7% 3.7% 17,188
November
2022
3.6% 3.7% 3.7% 17,253
October
2022
3.7% 3.7% 3.7% 17,283
September
2022
3.5% 3.7% 3.7% 17,080
August
2022
3.7% 3.6% 3.6% 16,733
July
2022
3.5% 3.5% 3.5% 16,268
June
2022
3.6% 3.4% 3.4% 15,743

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.