Blogs
The August Rental Market: Struggling Tenants and Rising Vacancies
By Philip Garboden Last month, UHERO partnered with real estate groups across the state to launch a monthly survey of Hawaii’s rental property owners and managers. Our primary goal is to understand how the rental market is faring during the extended COVID-19 crisis. Are tenants increasingly struggling to make rent? Are rental property owners seeing […]
Read MoreRooftop solar is now competitive with utility-scale power in Hawaiʻi
By Michael Roberts We need to transition away from fossil fuels quickly, and with inexpensive renewables and batteries, we can do so in a cost effective manner, so long as we employ a sensible plan and the right policies. But what are the tradeoffs involved with how we do it? In most places, rooftop solar […]
Read MoreNowcasting the Trajectory of the COVID-19 Recovery:
The Weekly UHERO Economic Pulse
By Peter Fuleky COVID-19 has brought the longest period of economic expansion in modern history to an abrupt halt. The pace and magnitude of decline in economic activity has been unprecedented, and the recovery ahead will likely be drawn-out and uneven. Making good business and public policy decisions in such a rapidly-changing environment requires data […]
Read MoreHow Many Visitors Are Coming to Hawaii During this Pandemic? Making Sense of Hawaii’s Visitor Arrival Data
By James Mak To curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus, Hawaii imposed a 14-day travel quarantine requirement for trans-Pacific passengers arriving in Hawaii; the new rule went into effect on March 26. Some visitors are still arriving in Hawaii, apparently in increasing numbers. How many manage to come to Hawaii is unclear to me as […]
Read MoreSurvey results for woman owned businesses
By Philip Garboden and Isabelle Picciotto An update to the original survey results: https://uhero.hawaii.edu/survey-update-shows-widespread-hardship-for-local-businesses/ These tables divide our findings by whether or not the business is 51% or more woman owned. With a few exceptions, the bulk of the evidence suggests that women owned business have been harder hit than those owned by men. As […]
Read MoreSurvey update shows widespread hardship for local businesses
By Philip Garboden and Isabelle Picciotto Additional results for woman owned businesses: https://uhero.hawaii.edu/survey-results-for-woman-owned-businesses/ Three months ago, UHERO released findings from its initial survey of businesses in Hawaii. Now that the shelter-in-place order has been lifted and the kamaʻāina economy is open (at least for the moment), it seemed appropriate to consider what may have changed. […]
Read MoreAloha ‘Oe: Population Migration Between Hawaii and the U.S. Mainland
By James Mak and Justin Tyndall The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that, between July 1, 2018 and July 1, 2019, Hawaii’s population decreased by 4,721. Hawaii was one of ten states to lose population. Hawaii has been losing population for three consecutive years beginning in 2017. Persistent decline in the state’s population may be an […]
Read MoreThe Impact of the Medicaid Expiration on COFA Migrants and COVID19
By Timothy Halliday Policy Background [1] Under the Compacts of Free Association (COFA), citizens from three nation-states located in the Pacific Ocean (the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia) are given free entry to the United States. In return, the United States military has access to […]
Read MoreUnemployment and Underemployment in Hawaii: A Troubling Picture
By James Mak, Justin Tyndall and Carl Bonham In 2019 Hawaii recorded one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country at 2.8%. Only five states—Colorado (2.6%), New Hampshire (2.6%), Utah (2.6%), Vermont (2.3%) and North Dakota (2.3%)—had lower unemployment rates. The U.S. average was 3.7%. Hawaii’s annual average unemployment had been below 3% every […]
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