Hawaii jobs forecast to grow 5.6% through 2024

Hawaii residents looking to enter the workforce or switch jobs are expected to see their best opportunities for employment in the coming years in education and health services as well as construction.

The total number of jobs in Hawaii is forecast to increase 5.6 percent from 696,390 to 735,180 from 2014 to 2024, according to a report released Thursday by the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

The 0.6 percent average annual growth change is roughly in line with recent forecasts by the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism as well as the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization. DBEDT said in its August report that nonfarm payroll job growth would be in the 1.1 to 1.2 percent range from 2017-2019. UHERO said in its September report that job growth would be 0.8, 0.6 and 0.5 percent, respectively, during the next three years.

“The (Labor Department) projections reflect a strong economy that continues to expand,” DLIR spokesman Bill Kunstman said. “However, it should be noted that the projected growth means that our economy in 2024 will not look remarkably different than it is now. Continued efforts at diversification, especially in the innovation sector as Gov. (David) Ige has suggested, offer the best promise of diversification with high-quality, living-wage jobs.”

DBEDT chief economist Eugene Tian said the 0.6 percent annual job growth projected by the report is lower than recent historical numbers for the state.

Tian said the Labor Department’s top industries for the future are similar to those recognized by DBEDT.

“The growth in the future will come from three industries: construction, professional and business services, and health services,” he said. “They are consistent with what we projected.”

Among occupations, an aging population is expected to increase jobs in health care support with the number of jobs in that area projected to jump 16 percent, or by 2,910, to 21,110 from 18,190.