Beyond the hype: What research shows about the value of college in the AI era
By Rachel Inafuku and Steven Bond-Smith Does a college education still provide significant labor market advantages in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) era? Many observers argue…
Cost-Effective Invasive Species Management: Biocontrol in Hawaiʻi Delivers High Return on Investment
By Conrad Newfield, Christopher Wada, and Kimberly Burnett Read the full report. Growing Threats to Hawaiʻi’s Forests and Industries Hawaiʻi’s native ecosystems and agricultural economy…
How Do Industry Views of Tourism in Hawai‘i Compare with Residents and Visitors?
By Colin Moore, Frank Haas, and John Knox Read the full report. Public debate about tourism in Hawai‘i is often cast in binary terms, either…
Recession watch: US data is softening—Is a downturn imminent?
By Byron Gangnes A little less than a year ago, I published a post explaining why the US economy was clearly NOT in a recession,…
Consensus and Conflict: A Data-Driven Look at the Biggest Bills in Hawai‘i’s 2025 Legislature
By Trey Gordner and Colin Moore In our last post, Bills, Backers, and Blocs, we analyzed the positions Hawai‘i’s politically active organizations took on nearly…
The Vulnerability of Hawai‘i’s Nonprofit Sector to Cuts in Federal Funding
Hawai‘i’s nonprofit sector is facing budget cuts and program changes that could disrupt essential services statewide. A new analysis by UHERO and the Hawai‘i Community…
Considerations for understanding water availability in West Maui
This piece intends to highlight some of the inherent tradeoffs that make managing water in West Maui especially challenging. In particular, subtracting current/authorized use from…
Wealth by Association? How Social Networks Drive Inequality in Hawaii
Studies show that economic connectedness, a poor individual’s share of wealthy friends, significantly impacts economic mobility. Hawaii ranks highly in this metric compared to other…
Taxing Tourists to Generate Revenue to Address the Negative Impacts of Climate Change on Hawai‘i Natural Resources
There is widespread agreement among Hawai‘i residents that the state government needs to spend more money on natural resource stewardship. A critical question is how…
Brief: Dissolving the Hawaii Tourism Authority
Summary Blog By Paul Brewbaker, Frank Haas, and James Mak State lawmakers in the 2023 state legislature are bashing the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA)…again! This…
UHERO Forecast for the State of Hawaiʻi: Mild recession and weak recovery in 2026
Hawaii’s economy continues to edge into a mild recession. A tourism downturn is now underway, and job losses will occur in a number of sectors…
UHERO Forecast for the State of Hawaiʻi: Deteriorating US outlook weighs on Hawaii prospects
Hawaii’s economic prospects remain poor. US trade policy is impacting key international visitor markets, and tariffs and uncertainty also weigh on the US economy. In…
UHERO Forecast for the State of Hawaiʻi: Federal policies push Hawaii toward mild recession
Hawaii’s economic outlook has taken a decisive turn for the worse, as expansive federal policy shifts look poised to tip the local economy into a…
UHERO Forecast for the State of Hawaiʻi: Federal cuts raise risk of Hawaii downturn
Hawaii’s economic growth is threatened by federal disruptions. While tax cuts may provide some stimulus this year, the Administration’s actions—including tariffs, mass deportations, and spending…
UHERO Forecast for the State of Hawaiʻi: Outlook more uncertain as federal policy changes loom
Hawaii’s economic expansion continues, but slowly. Now the incoming Trump Administration introduces uncertainty. Under the assumption of policy changes that are sharp but limited in…
Beyond the price of paradise: Is Hawai‘i being left behind?
By Steven Bond-Smith and Erich Schwartz Hawaiʻi is one of the most desirable—and most expensive—places to live in the world. But for 23 of the…
Recovery Through a Disability Lens: Impacts of the 2023 Maui Wildfires on Disability Equity and Shared Prosperity
The August 2023 Maui wildfires devastated homes, disrupted livelihoods, and reshaped entire communities. For many Maui residents with disabilities, life after the fires has been…
Economic Impact of the City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Environmental Services on the State of Hawai‘i in Fiscal Year 2024
The Department of Environmental Services (ENV) provides essential wastewater and solid waste services for the City and County of Honolulu, and its operations and capital…
Enduring Impacts of the November 2021 Red Hill Fuel Spill: Health, Social, Economic, and Trust Implications
This report presents findings from a follow-up survey conducted in July 2023—about 20 months after the Red Hill water contamination—with 174 people who had participated…
Supporting thriving water futures through education and career pathways: perspectives from the Hawai‘i water sector
In this report, we share insights from representatives from the freshwater sector on how the University of Hawai‘i can best support a thriving water future…
New MauiWES Study Published in JAMA Network Open
A new paper in JAMA Network Open, a journal of the American Medical Association, led by Dr. Ruben Juarez, Dr. Alika Maunakea, Dr. Daniela Bond-Smith,…
Publication: Shadows and Donuts: The Work-From-Home Revolution and The Performance of Cities
In this article, we set out the relationships between the behavioral and spatial responses to working from home. The analytical framework centres explicitly on the…
Publication: Vog: Using Volcanic Eruptions to Estimate the Impact of Air Pollution on Student Test Scores
We pair variation stemming from volcanic eruptions with the census of Hawaii’s public schools’ student test scores to estimate the impact of PM2.5 and SOM2…
Publication: Rural health disparities: Evidence from Hawaiʻi
This article examines how rurality contributes to health disparities in the Hawaiian Islands using data from the June 2023 wave of a statewide health survey….
How New Mass Transit Affects Labor Markets: The Honolulu Skyline
Understanding how the new rail system in Oahu is reshaping decisions around work, housing, and commuting can inform future transit investments. To get a more…