The State Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR) announced that first time filings in the state for unemployment now number 221,731, which is in line with the recent report by the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization (UHERO).

Initially, DLIR had said there were 309,765 filings, but they determined that included 88,034 duplicates.  At this point, DLIR says corrections are needed on 116,594 filings, and they’ve paid claims to 65,252 people.  Scott Murakami, head of the DLIR, said they’ve denied claims for 28,126 people saying the individuals were not qualified or needed to reapply under the new Independent Contractor program, which is known as PUA, or Pandemic Unemployment Assistance.

DLIR says between April 17 and April 23 it distributed $68,097,470 in unemployment insurance benefits, which included $44 million in the additional $600 every week made available by the federal  Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act signed into law on March 27, 2020.

The job loss numbers are highest on O’ahu, but the percentage of jobs lost is greater on neighbor islands because of the neighbor island dependence on tourism, the hardest hit industry:  O’ahu had a 38% job loss, the Big Island 48%, Kaua’i 52%, and Maui, 58%.

State House Speaker Scott Saiki said more than 10,000 claims were processed in just one day last week, and that 580 volunteers (i.e. people redeployed from other State departments, but still being paid) ae working two daily shifts Monday through Saturday to get through the backlog of claims.  Saiki himself is one of those volunteering to help get the backlog down.

In a meeting on Monday of the House Select Committee on COVID-19 Economic and Financial Preparedness, Dr. Mark Mugiishi, President of HMSA, shared information about a public health plan nearing completion that has been developed in cooperation between the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. The plan offers specific recommendations on when a business can reopen based on the level of coronavirus risk in the state.

The model has four levels of restrictions to stop the spread of the virus based on infection levels ranging from complete lockdown of the community, which is where we are right now, to slowly reopening public access until we reach our “new normal.” As the health risks decrease, businesses can reopen if they manage public contact, have cleaning measures in place, and ensure there is social distancing, which may involve reconfiguring workplaces.

He said for businesses to reopen the state must ensure there is adequate hospital capacity should there be a COVID-19 flareup, and must ramp up screening, testing, tracking, and quarantine measures.  Reducing transmission of the virus is critical.

Migiishi said the model being presented to the committee has been developed in coordination with Alan Oshima, who is heading Governor David Ige’s Hawaiʻi Economic and Community Recovery & Resiliency Plan, and Major General Kenneth Hara, Adjutant General for the State of Hawaiʻi, Department of Defense.   The recommendations are similar to those in a report released on April 15 by the University of Hawaii Public Policy Center.

If you need to file for unemployment benefits, click here.

Photo is Scott Murakami, Director of DLIR.