HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) -
Hawaii new jobless claims rose
by about 150 claims last week to 1,987, the highest level since early January.
Most of the first-time filings, as always, were on Oahu,
1,245, with increases in all three unemployment offices - Honolulu, Waipahu and
Kaneohe, the Hawaii Department of Labor & Industrial Relations reported.
Total Oahu claims, including repeat filers, came to 7,146, also the most since
early January.
The filings are thought to have include some layoffs by
defense contractors. They do not yet include job cuts associated with the
closure of the Tesoro refinery in Kapolei, and Kaiser Permanente reported that
only three nurses chose severance in its elimination of dozens of jobs; the
rest transferred to other assignments.
The Big Island had 337 new filings, up about 60 from the
week before, and 2,152 total claims, up about 150 from the week before.
Maui County had 214 new claims, down three from the week
before, including seven claims on Molokai, down from the week before. Total
claims also fell, to 1,586.
Kauai had 127 new claims, up eight from the week before,
and 746 total claims, up 11.
Weekly jobless claims - these numbers are not seasonally
adjusted - fluctuate, but have in general trended lower for several months compared
to year-before levels. Last week, however, the numbers were up 7 percent from
the same week in 2012.
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