Honolulu jobless rate improves to 5.1 percent

Honolulu’s jobless rate improved to 5.1 percent in March, down from the 5.3 percent in February and 5.6 percent in March 2010, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ preliminary data that has not been seasonally adjusted. Out of the 372 metropolitan areas covered in the report, Honolulu is one of 317 areas that recorded lower unemployment rates when compared to the same month last year.

The report released April 27 also lists Hawaii’s unemployment rate as 6.1 percent, not seasonally adjusted, for the month of March. Earlier this month, the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations reported that the Islands’ jobless rate, when seasonally adjusted, was 6.3 percent in March.

Hawaii’s 2,157 initial jobless claims for the week ending April 16 were down 6.2 percent from the 2,299 claims filed during the same week last year, according to the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

Most counties saw decreases in the number of claims filed last week compared to the previous year. Maui saw the largest percentage decrease — its 249 claims were down 32.3 percent from a year ago. Kauai had 163 initial claims, down 17.3 percent, and Oahu had 1,227 claims, down 1.4 percent. Meanwhile, the Big Island saw 443 claims, up 6 percent from the same week a year ago.