Economy
Q&A: UHERO Forecast Update Released Today
1. UHERO RELEASED THE FOURTH QUARTER UPDATE TO ITS HAWAII FORECAST THIS MORNING. THE TITLE IS “HAWAII IN PAUSE MODE.” WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT? This is something we’ve been talking about for several months. After strong gains in tourism and to a lesser extent in employment in 2010, the state economy has moved […]
Read MoreUS economy reaches pre-recession peak
Almost four years after the start of the great recession total output of goods and services in the US has surpassed its pre-recession peak. The Bureau of Economic Analysis first estimate of Q3 2011 real GDP (in 2005 dollars) was $13,352.8 billion, just slightly higher than the $13,326.0 billion in Q4 2007. After falling by […]
Read MoreRevisions to income data show faster recovery
Personal income estimates for the state of Hawaii were revised up by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) in their recent release State Personal Income: Second Quarter 2011. This update revises personal income data released after 2008 and reports new data for the second quarter of 2011. On the national level personal income was revised up […]
Read MoreQ&A: Fed Act to Lower Mortgage Rates
1. THE FEDERAL RESERVE MET FOR A TWO DAY MEETING ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. AFTER THEIR MEETING, THE STOCK MARKET FELL SHARPLY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND THURSDAY. WHAT DID THEY DO! The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) met on Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss the state of the US economy and to decide on monetary policy […]
Read MoreFed acts to lower mortgage rates
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) met on Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss the state of the US economy and to decide on monetary policy actions. This meeting is a particularly interesting meeting because of the clear signs of economic weakness over the past six months and the relatively new phenomena of the direct political […]
Read MoreQ&A: Employment and Unemployment in Hawaii
1. HAWAII’S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE INCREASED FROM 6.1 PERCENT IN JULY TO 6.2 PERCENT IN AUGUST. WHY DID THIS HAPPEN? The basic reason is that the number of Hawaii’s people in the labor force and without jobs increased by 900. One reason is the continuing weakness in the tourism this summer with declines in June and […]
Read MoreHonolulu GDP posts 1.7% growth in 2010
Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the Honolulu metropolitan area grew by a moderate 1.7% in 2010 according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis GDP by Metro Area, Advance 2010 released this week. While Honolulu’s moderate growth places it within the third quintile of all U.S. metropolitan areas, growth of 1.7% is a significant improvement over […]
Read MoreOil Prices and Hawaii Travel
Oil prices have fluctuated widely in recent years. In our recent County Forecast Report, we discussed how oil affects the overall economy. Because fuel costs represent about 40% of airline expenses, they can have a large effect on the profitability and behavior of airlines, and ultimately the Hawaii tourism industry. The price of oil has a […]
Read MoreThoughts on President Obama’s proposed Jobs Act
President Obama proposed a larger-than-expected $447 billion American Jobs Act. More than half the package is for an expansion of this year’s payroll tax cuts and similar relief for employers. Tax cuts of this type may have limited bang per buck, but they can be implemented quickly, important given the urgency of the jobs problem. Also included […]
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