Employment in Honolulu increased by 0.4 percent from March 2024 to March 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Chris Rosenlund, Regional Commissioner, stated that this rate placed Honolulu at 167th among the 364 largest U.S. counties with published data.
Honolulu’s employment reached 456,000 in March 2025, representing about 70.7 percent of Hawaii’s total employment. In comparison, the largest counties across the United States account for roughly 73.4 percent of all covered employment nationwide.
The average weekly wage in Honolulu rose by 6.5 percent over the year to $1,412. Nationally, the average was $1,589—a rise of 4.1 percent over the same period. Honolulu ranked 144th nationally for its weekly wage and had the 16th highest percentage increase among large U.S. counties.
Data for Hawaii’s three smaller counties—those with fewer than 75,000 employed in 2024—showed lower wage levels compared to the national average. Kauai had the highest average weekly wage among them at $1,226, followed by Maui + Kalawao at $1,215 and Hawaii County at $1,183.
Further details on county-level employment and wages are available through the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages website and related technical notes provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“The County Employment and Wages release for the second quarter 2025 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, December 3, 2025.”
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