Hawaii led nation in August construction job gains

Hawaii saw the biggest gain in construction jobs in the nation between August and September, while construction employment declined in 31 states, according to an analysis of state employment data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Hawaii led the 15 states that gained jobs with a 4.9 percent increase, or 1,400 jobs, followed by Minnesota, which saw a 3 percent gain, or 3,100 jobs, the AGC reported.

Unemplyment down slightly -- Hawaii’s September unemployment rate was 6.3 percent, down 0.1 percent from August’s rate, according to the latest seasonally adjusted figures from the U.S. Department of Labor.

Statewide, there were 40,200 people out of work in September out of a labor force of 634,500. September’s rate is 0.7 percent lower than September 2009’s rate, and is well below the national unemployment rate. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 95,000 nonfarm jobs were lost in the month of September, but the national unemployment rate remained unchanged at  9.6 percent.

Jobless claims dip -- Hawaii’s initial unemployment claims dipped 6.4 percent for the week ending Oct. 23 with a total of 2,097 filings. That’s down from 2,240 filings during the same week last year, according to the Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

Most of the islands saw decreases in initial filings when compared to the same week last year. Maui saw the largest percentage decrease — 28.5 percent for a total of 299 claims. The Big Island saw a 6.8 percent decrease and a total of 422 filings, while Oahu recorded a 1.9 percent decrease for a total of 1,140 filings. Meanwhile, Kauai saw a 13 percent increase and a total of 148 claims for the week.

Mass layoffs down -- There were 1,486 mass layoffs nationwide in September, down from 2,326 in September 2009, according to seasonally adjusted data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Of that total, Hawaii was responsible for three of those September layoffs, according to the report. The companies involved were not identified. Mass layoffs involve at least 50 individuals working for a single employer.

Foreclosures spike -- Meanwhile, the number of properties in Hawaii with foreclosure actions jumped 48 percent in the third quarter when compared to the same quarter in 2009, ranking the state 10th in the nation, according to the latest statistics from RealtyTrac.

There were 4,060 properties with foreclosure filings — including notices of default, trustee sales and bank-owned properties — during the July-September period, or a rate of one per every 126 housing units.

September alone saw a 67 percent increase in filings on Hawaii properties over the same month in 2009, ranking the state ninth in the nation. There were a total of 1,617 properties with foreclosure filings last month, or one per every 317 housing units.