News Releases

DBEDT today announced that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for December was 3.0 percent, compared to 2.9 percent for the previous six consecutive months.
Read More Hawaii December Unemployment Rate at 3.0 Percent
Office of Planning and Sustainable Development — DBEDT is proud to announce that Hawaii has become the nation’s first statewide economic development district (EDD), a designation approved by the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration.
Read More Hawaii Receives Federal Designation as Nation’s First Statewide Economic Development District
DBEDT's Creative Industries Division Hawaii today released a request for proposals toward the development of small, mid-sized and microbudget film and creative media projects.
Read More Call for Submissions Issued for Hawaii Film and Creative Content Funding Support
According to preliminary statistics from DBEDT, there were 770,940 visitors to the Hawaiian Islands in November 2024, growth of 5.3 percent compared to the same month last year.
Read More Visitor Industry Recorded Fourth Consecutive Year-over-Year Growth in November 2024
DBEDT today announced that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for November was 2.9 percent, the same for the sixth consecutive month.
Read More Hawaii November Unemployment Rate Remains at 2.9. Percent
Hawaii residents are invited to hone high-demand creative industry skills with two production courses set for Spring 2025, offered through the University of Hawaii Community Colleges' Good Jobs Hawaii initiative in collaboration with DBEDT's Creative Industries Division.
Read More Good Jobs Hawaii to Offer Specialized Creative Industries Training Courses for Spring 2025
DBEDT released its fourth quarter 2024 Statistical and Economic Report today. In the report, DBEDT raised its economic growth projections for 2024 to 1.6 percent and kept the 2025 economic growth rate at 2.0 percent, the same as projected in the previous quarter.
Read More DBEDT Keeps Hawaii Economic Growth Rate at 2.0 Percent for 2025
According to preliminary statistics from DBEDT, there were 774,617 visitors to the Hawaiian Islands in October 2024, growth of 5.4 percent from the same month last year.
Read More Visitor Industry Continued Improvement in October 2024
DBEDT today announced that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for October was 2.9 percent, the same for the fifth consecutive month.
Read More Hawaii October Unemployment Rate Remains at 2.9 Percent
The pulse-pounding new drama "Rescue: HI-Surf," a co-production of John Wells Productions, Warner Bros. Television and FOX Entertainment, continues to further opportunities for Hawaii's creative talent.
Read More “Rescue: HI-Surf” Episode Directed by Native Hawaiian Filmmaker Erin Lau to Air November 4 on FOX