State’s unemployment rate at 13.1% in July

Hawaii’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for July was 13.1%, compared to the revised rate of 13.4% in June, according to the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

In July 2019, Hawaii’s unemployment rate was 2.7%.

Hawaii County’s rate (not seasonally adjusted) in July was 12.8%, down slightly from June which had a rate of 13.2%.

In July 2019, the county’s unemployment rate was 3.7%.

Statewide, 551,750 people were employed and 83,250 unemployed in July for a total seasonally adjusted labor force of 635,000.

Hawaii’s leisure and hospitality sector continues to be hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. In July, the sector employed about 60,800 people, down from more than 126,000 in July 2019.

The DLIR also said Thursday it has paid more than $2.8 billion for unemployment claims since March 1.

The department has processed 178,156 valid claims and paid 167,870 of them; 10,286 claims still require action.

“We are still experiencing a significant increase of workers still attached to an employer being fully released from employment,” said acting DLIR Director Anne Eustaquio. “These individuals will need to report the separation when filing a weekly claim certification.”

Claimants can review the correct way to do this at https://labor.hawaii.gov/ui/main/reactivate-your-claim-and-report-job-separation/ before filing their weekly claim certification, Eustaquio said.