Residents remain hopeful in face of economic uncertainty

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Job seekers packed a state hiring fair Friday. Many were federal workers uncertain about their futures.

The economy and jobs were among the top concerns of Hawaii residents, according to Pacific Resource Partnership’s latest Hawaii Perspectives report, which surveyed more than 900 residents across the islands in November and December of last year.

Only 28 percent feel the state is on the right track when tackling issues like affordable housing and cost of living.

“A lot of residents were uncertain as a result of the presidential election had come out and they really wanted to understand what that meant for Hawaii. I think we continue to see those results today and the uncertainty that exists when it comes to financial funding and other ways of of supporting Hawaii residents,” said David Pettinger, senior partner of Anthology Research, which conducted the survey for PRP.

With federal job cuts underway, the state is working to fill its own open positions with new talent looking for stability.

“A lot of people just bash the government, but a lot of these people are hard workers, so I’m hopeful that things will turn around with jobs fairs like this,” said Department of Labor and Industrial Relations spokesperson Chavonnie Ramos. “Operation Hire Hawaii is one of those initiatives just to help people get jobs.”

Another way the state can support residents and potentially save taxpayer money is with financial education so folks can navigate economic challenges.

Danson Honda has two young daughters and wants to see financial literacy taught in schools.

“Hard work alone isn’t enough to stay here in Hawaii. You need to work hard and smart, to plan ahead to make it feasible to stay here,” he said.

“There’s a lot of these safety net programs to help people in their current situations, right, but I would like to make the point that we can’t just keep endlessly expanding these safety nets. We need to also give people the financial tools and skills they need to climb out of these safety nets,” Honda added. “It’s almost like a trap, right? People become entrapped in this government assistance.

“It’s really about giving people hope that they can work hard and smart to continue staying here in Hawaii,” Honda said.

For a free digital copy of the Hawaii Perspectives report, visit PRP-Hawaii.com.