Economy

The state is entering a mild recession, but it will be less severe than previously predicted, according to the University of Hawai'i Economic Research Organization’s most recent forecast.

Seth Colby, who previously served as the chief state economist, will be the next director of the State Department of Budget and Finance, starting in less than two weeks.

The Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge marks 40 years amid uncertainty about federal support; New York poet Rachel Eliza Griffiths presents at the Honolulu Museum of Art

The results of a new survey show that almost half of middle-income workers are unsure if they will have to leave Hawaiʻi for a less expensive state. HPR's Ashley Mizuo reports on some of the reasons why.

The second food insecurity study by the Hawaiʻi Foodbank indicates that 32% of local households didn’t have enough food between mid-2024 and mid-2025 — up 3 percentage points from the organization’s first report covering 2023.

About 160,000 residents are on the verge of losing $60 million in federal food benefits, and local food banks and other nonprofits are gearing up for a spike in demand for their services.

Hawaiʻi is facing a growing workforce shortage concern for the state’s construction industry. The solution lies in Generation Z — more on that story from Pacific Business News Editor in Chief Janis Magin.

State Insurance Commissioner Scott Saiki discusses the changing insurance landscape; Palestinian Ma'an Odeh shares his thoughts on the ceasefire in Gaza and his recent experience in the West Bank

The report found that 60% of the surveyed students suffer from one type of severe food insecurity, meaning they were concerned about running out of food before they got the money to buy more.

Maui has been dealt a bad hand in recent years as the effects of the deadly 2023 wildfires still loom amid other economic concerns. The rebuild efforts are expected to give the island's economy a boost, but it's also facing a tourism slowdown, workforce shortage issues and housing supply scarcity.