Blogs
Nowcasting 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 […]
Read MoreIncorporating Historical Spring Discharge Protection into Sustainable Groundwater Management: A Case Study from Pearl Harbor Aquifer, Hawai‘i
By Kimberly Burnett, Ahmed Elshall, Christopher Wada, Aida Arik, Aly El-Kadi, Clifford Voss, Jade Delevaux, and Leah Bremer The value of considering a range of diverse benefits is particularly salient in geographically isolated areas like the Hawaiian Islands, where judicious management of limited local freshwater resources is essential to sustaining the wellbeing of residents and […]
Read MoreEstimating the Need for Rental Assistance in Hawaii
By Philip ME Garboden and Isabelle Picciotto Renters in Hawaii are at significant risk due to the economic downturn. Roughly 40% of all households in Hawaii rent their homes. They have significantly lower income than homeowners, with a median household income of $57,000 compared with $100,000 for homeowners. Their housing tenure is by nature less […]
Read More