Hawaii March unemployment holds at 6.9 percent

Hawaii’s jobless rate remained unchanged at 6.9 percent for the month of March, while the national unemployment rate was 9.7 percent. The state reported seven “mass layoffs,” up from five reported during the same period in March a year ago, according to preliminary data released by the U.S. Department of Labor.

The March layoffs resulted in 534 workers losing their jobs, as measured by new claims for unemployment insurance during the month.  That’s up from a year ago, when Hawaii reported 376 new claims for unemployment insurance.

The Labor Department defines a mass layoff as occurring when there are 50 or more initial claims for unemployment insurance benefits from one employer during a five-week period, with at least 50 workers separated for more than 30 days. It does not specify where the layoffs occurred.

Nationwide, there were 1,628 mass layoffs in March that resulted in the separation of 150,864 workers, the Labor Department said. That was down from the 2,913 mass layoffs that resulted in the separation of 295,970 workers a year ago. California recorded the highest number of initial unemployment claims — 28,180 — of any state in March.

Meanwhile, Honolulu’s jobless rate dropped to 5.6 percent in February from 6 percent in January, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. That rate was slightly higher than the 5.3 percent posted in February 2009.

There were 25,100 people out of work in Honolulu in February, down from 26,600 jobless the previous month but more than the 23,800 people out of work in Honolulu a year ago. Honolulu gained 6,500 nonagricultural jobs between January and February to reach a total of 436,000 jobs. That compares with 443,400 jobs in February 2009.