Hawaii’s unemployment rate fell by to 6.3 percent in April from 6.4 percent in March, reaching its lowest level in more than three years, the state reported today.

The state’s seasonally adjusted jobless rate has been improving slowly from peaking at 7.1 percent in the summer of 2009 amid one of the worst economic downturns since statehood.

Most economists expect further improvement in the state’s job market will be gradual as the economy slowly strengthens. The University of Hawaii Research Organization is forecasting the rate will average 6.1 percent this year and 5.4 percent in 2013.

There were 41,350 people looking for work in Hawaii in April, according to the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. That was down from 42,300 in March and 43,500 in April 2011.
Nationally the unemployment rate fell to 8.1 percent in April from 8.2 percent in March.