72
Honolulu’s unemployment rate of 5.2 percent in May was tied for 13th lowest out of 372 metropolitan areas surveyed, according to a federal report released today.
The 4,400 jobs added in Honolulu during May was second only to the greater Washington D.C. area, according to the report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The Honolulu May jobless rate was down from 5.3 percent in April and 5.7 percent in May 2009. Honolulu’s rate also was significantly lower than the Neighbor Islands, with unemployment rates of 9.7 percent in Hawaii County, 8.5 percent in Kauai County and 8.2 percent in Maui County.
Honolulu tied with Portsmouth, N.H.; Ithaca, N.Y., and Billings, Mont. for the 13th spot.
Bismark, N.D., had the lowest jobless rate at 3.1 percent, while El Centro, Calif., had the highest rate at 27.5 percent.
