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# Hawaii Labor Force Reaches 692,700 as Unemployment Holds at 2.7%
- URL: https://www.theamericanquorum.com/state-news-hawaii-2026-09-19-a/
- Published: 2026-09-19T08:24:50.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-19T08:24:50.000Z
- Description: Hawaii’s labor force expanded to 692,700 in August while unemployment held at 2.7%. Payrolls were nearly flat, with gains in health services offset by weakness in trade and manufacturing.
- Author: News Desk
- Tags: State News, Hawaii

Hawaii’s labor force expanded to 692,738 people in August, while the state’s unemployment rate held at 2.7% for a second month, according to [preliminary federal estimates released Friday](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.t01.htm?ref=theamericanquorum.com). The change means more residents were working or looking for work even as payroll growth remained nearly flat.

The number of employed Hawaii residents rose by about 1,400 from July to 673,939, calculated from the labor-force and unemployment totals in the Bureau of Labor Statistics table. The number of unemployed residents also increased, by about 450 to 18,799\. Because the labor force grew faster than employment, the rounded jobless rate stayed at 2.7% rather than falling.

Hawaii’s rate remained well below the 4.1% national rate reported for August. Still, the state’s unemployment rate was six-tenths of a percentage point higher than its 2.1% reading in August 2025, an increase the [BLS identified as statistically significant](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.nr0.htm?ref=theamericanquorum.com). Over the same 12 months, Hawaii’s labor force grew by roughly 5,700 people, while resident employment increased by about 1,500.

## Payroll gains remain limited

A separate employer survey estimated that Hawaii had 643,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in August. That was only about 100 more than in July and 1,300 more than a year earlier, a 0.2% annual increase, according to the [BLS state payroll table](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.t03.htm?ref=theamericanquorum.com). The figures are seasonally adjusted and remain preliminary.

The industry detail shows an uneven expansion. Education and health services employed 93,300 people, up 2.2% from a year earlier, while leisure and hospitality reached 121,600, up 0.9%. Construction and related mining and logging employment rose 1.7% to 41,200\. By contrast, trade, transportation and utilities employment declined 1.4% to 114,800, manufacturing fell 2.3% to 12,700, and financial activities decreased 1.5% to 26,500, according to the [BLS Hawaii economy profile](https://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.hi.htm?ref=theamericanquorum.com).

## Why the two measures differ

The labor-force figures and payroll totals answer different questions. The household survey counts employed Hawaii residents, including self-employed people and residents who may work outside the state. The employer survey counts jobs located at Hawaii workplaces, and a person holding two jobs can be counted twice. That distinction helps explain why resident employment can rise more noticeably than payrolls in the same month.

For state officials and employers, the August report points to a labor market that is still tight by national standards but has more available workers than a year ago. The larger labor force may ease some recruiting pressure, though the small payroll gain suggests employers are adding positions cautiously. The industry mix also matters for households: health-services growth broadens opportunities beyond tourism, while declines in trade and manufacturing limit gains in sectors that serve both residents and visitors.

Monthly state estimates can move as surveys are updated, so the direction over several reports is more informative than a single month. BLS is scheduled to release September state employment estimates on October 20; both August series may be revised when additional survey data arrive.