A report issued by the U.S. Labor Department last week suggested tentative but encouraging economic recovery after several months of COVID-19 fallout — on the mainland, at least. The nationwide unemployment rate dropped to 6.9% in October from 7.9% in September.

While a state-by-state breakdown was not released, it’s a gloomy sure-bet that Hawaii’s unemployment rate will not soon return to the single digits enjoyed before COVID-19 hit. Due in large part to the public health threat’s ravaging of the state’s tourism sector, Hawaii had the nation’s highest unemployment rate in September at 15.1%.