COVID-19
Mobility Data Shows Fewer Residents Staying at Home
By Joshua Hu and Justin Tyndall Hawaii has steadily moved forward with its vaccination initiative. Currently, the CDC reports that 26% of Hawai’i residents are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, slightly above the national rate of 24%. Despite progress in vaccinations, during the period from mid-February to early April, Hawai’i has undergone a rise in new […]
Read MoreLocation, Location, Location! A uniquely Hawai‘i economic development strategy
By Steven Bond-Smith Hawaiʻi’s economy is in trouble. Unemployment is typically low in Hawai‘i and it was close to an all-time low in March 2020 at just 2.1 per cent. But Covid-19 has ravaged the visitor industry. Business travel and tourism have dried up due to public health restrictions and the risk of contracting Covid […]
Read MoreLocation, Location, Location! A uniquely Hawaiʻi economic development strategy
By Steven Bond-Smith* Hawai‘i’s vulnerability to economic shocks has become a paramount concern during the pandemic. Extreme specialization in the visitor industry exposes Hawaiʻi to risk and volatility when events such as a pandemic, recession or terrorist attack trigger collapses in visitor numbers. In response, policy-makers in Hawaiʻi are placing an increasing emphasis on diversification. […]
Read MoreNowcasting the Trajectory of the COVID-19 Recovery
I develop a weekly coincident index of economic activity in the State of Hawaii. The purpose of the index is to nowcast the recovery from the COVID-19 induced downturn. The index is the first principal component extracted from 18 daily and weekly state-level time series, it captures about 80% of the variation in the sample, […]
Read MoreUHERO Forecast for the State of Hawaii: More Substantial Recovery in Sight
Hawaii is struggling to emerge from the COVID-19 downturn, but the recovery is poised to accelerate. Falling virus counts and vaccination progress set the stage for a strengthening of tourism and the broader economy. The pandemic has damaged businesses and lower-income households, and full recovery remains several years down the road.
Read MoreNovember Rental Market: Troubling Signs Remain As State Prepares for an Uncertain 2021
By Philip ME Garboden This month, UHERO completed its second quarterly survey of rental property owners and managers (the first from August 2020 can be found here). Our primary goal is to understand how the rental market is fairing during the extended COVID-19 crisis. Are tenants increasingly struggling to make rent? Are rental property owners […]
Read MoreEstimating COVID-19 Induced Rental Housing Hardship in 2021
By Philip ME Garboden and Isabelle Picciotto Several months ago, UHERO estimated the impact of the COVID-19 induced economic downturn on renters in 2020. Much has changed since then, and generally not for the better. New outbreaks, both in Hawai’i and on the mainland, have worked against our hope for a steady and predictable economic […]
Read MoreUnique pattern of COVID-19 infection in the State of Hawai‘i
UHERO’s Sumner La Croix and coauthors published “Unique pattern of COVID-19 infection in the State of Hawai‘i” in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases, and find that Pacific Islanders are 4% of the population and almost 30% of COVID-19 cases, an epidemic within an epidemic in Hawai‘i. Miller FD, La Croix S, Brown T, Ramsey […]
Read MoreAnnual Hawaii Forecast With Global Outlook: Mainland COVID-19 surge means a bleak winter, but vaccines promise 2021 growth
The Hawaii economy began to recover from the COVID-19 downturn by the end of the second quarter, but subsequent global waves of the pandemic have disrupted economic progress. The ongoing mainland virus surge and the State’s tightened quarantine rules will weigh on near-term recovery, while news of coming vaccines fundamentally improves growth prospects for the […]
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