Research & Economic Analysis

2nd Quarter 2026 Report

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Hawai‘i’s labor market conditions were mixed in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the first quarter of 2025. The civilian labor force and civilian employment decreased. Civilian unemployment and the unemployment rate decreased. Civilian non-agricultural wage and salary jobs increased in the private sector and decreased in the government sector compared to the first quarter of 2025.

In the first quarter of 2026, the civilian labor force averaged 687,250 people, a decrease of 2,550 people or 0.4 percent from the same quarter of 2025 (Table A-1). In 2025, the civilian labor force increased 5,400 people or 0.8 percent from the previous year.

Civilian employment averaged 671,700 people in the first quarter of 2026, a decrease of 1,500 people or 0.2 percent compared to the same quarter of 2025 (Table A-2). In 2025, average civilian employment increased 8,050 people or 1.2 percent from the previous year.

In the first quarter of 2026, the number of civilian unemployed averaged 15,550, a decrease of 1,050 people or 6.3 percent from the same quarter of 2025 (Table A-3). In 2025, the number of unemployed decreased 2,650 people or 14.1 percent from the previous year.

The unemployment rate (not seasonally adjusted) was 2.2 percent in the first quarter of 2026, 0.2 of a percentage point lower than the first quarter of 2025 (Table A-4). In 2025, the unemployment rate decreased by 0.4 of a percentage point to 2.4 percent.

In the first quarter of 2026, Hawai‘i’s non-agricultural wage and salary jobs averaged 642,900 jobs, a decrease of 800 jobs or 0.1 percent from the same quarter of 2025 (Table A-6). In 2025, average non-agricultural wage and salary jobs increased 0.6 percent or 4,000 jobs from the previous year.

In the first quarter of 2026, the private sector added about 2,300 non-agricultural jobs compared to the first quarter of 2025. The number of jobs increased the most in Health Care & Social Assistance, which added 1,400 jobs or 1.8 percent (Table A-16), followed by Construction, which added 1,200 jobs or 3.0 percent (Table A-7), Accommodation, which gained 500 jobs or 1.3 percent (Table A-18), and Food Services and Drinking Places, which added 400 jobs or 0.6 percent (Table A-19).

The job decrease in the first quarter of 2026 was due to job decreases in the government sector. The Government sector lost 3,100 jobs or 2.4 percent (Table A-21) in this quarter of compared to the same quarter of 2025. The Federal Government lost 3,100 jobs or 8.7 percent (Table A-22), the State Government lost 500 jobs or 0.7 percent (Table A-23), and the Local Government added 600 jobs or 3.1 percent (Table A-24), compared to the first quarter of 2024.