Economy
How I know we’re Not in a Recession. (And when we’ll know if we are.)
By Byron Gangnes Try to tell people that we are not in a recession, and you will get a lot of pushback. After all, jobs are harder to come by, prices are high, and some people are struggling to finance credit card debt. Some households are feeling these effects, and those who are not may be […]
Read MoreGovernor Green Announces SNAP Rule Changes Following UHERO Study
Governor Josh Green has announced that Hawai‘i will implement changes to its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), following recommendations from a UHERO study co-authored by UHERO Assistant Professor Dylan Moore and Nate Hix of the Hawai‘i Institute of Public Health. These changes are expected to provide an additional $45 million in benefits to struggling families […]
Read MoreHawaiʻi’s Unnecessary Benefit Cliff: How One Small Policy Change Could Deliver Tens of Millions in Federally-Funded SNAP Benefits
By Dylan Moore and Nate Hix (Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute) In Hawaiʻi, as in other states, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)—otherwise known as food stamps—is one of the largest welfare programs available to low-income residents. Currently, a family of four can receive as much as $1,759/month in SNAP benefits. In a typical month, the […]
Read MoreUHERO Forecast for the State of Hawaiʻi: Lagging Maui recovery, slower speed limit for Hawaii growth
Hawaii’s economic outlook continues to be a story of two economies: a Maui economy that will only gradually recover from its post-wildfire downturn, and the other counties as a group, whose visitor industries will continue to operate at a high level, and whose macroeconomic conditions will remain broadly favorable. Hawaii’s trend growth is now slower […]
Read MoreReport: Potential opportunities to diversify the economy of Hawai‘i
Read the summary blog post. The economy of Hawai‘i is extraordinarily concentrated in the tourism industry. As a result of tourism’s dominance, Hawai‘i’s economy faces short-term risks from shocks that impact visitor numbers and long-term stagnation from flat and volatile tourism spending over the last three decades. In response to these issues—which became especially salient […]
Read MorePotential opportunities to diversify the economy of Hawaiʻi
Read the full report By: Steven Bond-Smith and Sumit Ilamkar The economy of Hawaiʻi is extraordinarily concentrated in the tourism industry. As a result of tourism’s dominance, Hawaiʻi’s economy faces short-term risks from shocks that impact visitor numbers and long-term stagnation from flat and volatile tourism spending over the last three decades. In response to […]
Read MoreExploring the Gender Pay Gap in Hawai‘i
The US has made substantial progress in closing the historical earnings gap between men and women, but data from the American Community Survey (ACS) shows that from 2015 to 2022 full-time working women in the US earned 84 cents for every dollar a man made. In Hawai‘i, full-time women fared slightly better, making 86 cents […]
Read MoreJapan Update: Struggling to escape inflation’s drag
By Byron Gangnes Like all countries, Japan was hit hard by COVID-19, and the economy has struggled to get back on track since. Some headwinds are familiar to Japan: the softness in foreign markets has hurt an economy for which exports remain an important source of growth. But the pandemic’s aftermath also brought very unfamiliar […]
Read MoreUHERO Forecast for the State of Hawaiʻi: Expansion intact, but counties poised for slower growth
Hawaii’s economy will continue to grow, but at a slower pace than in past years. Maui rebuilding and the incremental return of international travelers will support tourism, helping to offset a moderate pullback in the US mainland market. Construction will continue to be a source of strength, even as overall job and income growth decelerate. […]
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