Unemployment in Hawaii remains at historic levels—especially on Neighbor Islands. But there are companies that are hiring right now.
Hawaii’s unemployment rate remains one of the highest in the nation, but amid this crisis, PBN found dozens of companies hiring in the Islands in such industries as health care, banking, construction, food service and more.
Solar company Sunrun, for example, is seeking technicians and sales people. It’s actually had one of its highest single days of sales ever at the end of April, as consumers sought out solar and battery back-up tech to be energy independent and lower their electric bills. The company is both back-filling existing positions and adding people for growth. It anticipates that third-party financing will help people secure solar as a way to save money and weather a protracted downturn.
As stay-at-home/work-from-orders shuttered most local businesses, including retail options, Walmart grew, hiring 400 people in March alone. It’s still looking to fill 100 positions, from cashiers to pharmacy technicians. Among the departments it is growing is its janitorial staff, to meet new levels of cleanliness and sanitation.
For locally owned Hawaii Building Maintenance, janitorial and building maintenance staffing is its full-time concern. The company initially took a hit when Hawaii’s office workers retreated to their kitchen tables, said President and CEO Jarrett Walters, who had to furlough some of his 700 employees and reduce hours for others. Now the company’s services are in demand again as Hawaii employers want both deep cleanings before bringing their teams back to the office and a greater frequency of cleaning going forward. Walters said the company has hired 20 people across multiple islands, including people displaced from the visitor industry, and he’s looking for more.
