Keeping Watch on Hawaiʻi Island's Workforce

New regional data from the Hawaiʻi Workforce Funders Collaborative highlights the critical gap facing our keiki, high-demand industry pathways, and the local economic return of sustained workforce investment.

Policymakers and media outlets often point to Hawaiʻi's high cost of living when discussing why people leave the state. But a new study argues there's another, equally important factor: a lack of high-paying jobs.

The doctor shortage in Hawaiʻi has not only persisted, but worsened, according to the most recent report tracking the numbers.

This report builds on HWFC's 2025 findings and introduces the Hawaiʻi Generational Workforce Commitment — a cross-sector goal that by 2045, all people of Hawaiʻi will have a path to a career that lets them learn, work, and thrive at home.

College enrollment in the U.S. continued to rise last fall, surpassing prepandemic levels, new figures show.

Almost half of middle-income workers surveyed are unsure if they will have to leave Hawaiʻi for a less expensive state.

Higher education is often the pathway to a fulfilling career, but that path can be long and expensive. Quicker, more direct routes are launching many young adults into rewarding careers with fewer financial risks.

This survey paints a stark picture of a worsening cost-of-living crisis in the state, with more residents living paycheck to paycheck and spending unsustainable portions of income on essentials.

Hawaiʻi's labor force continues to shrink, raising fears of a deeper workforce crisis as the population ages and younger workers leave for more affordable states.

Learn more about the science, psychology, and sociology behind why humans love music and how our brains process it.

Koi Pond Bridges members gathered for a presentation by acclaimed author Steven Johnson, followed by a conversation on AI between Steven and KPB's own Peter Schwartz.

State economists foresee a demographic turning point a decade from now. A demographer in Hilo has found that for Hawaiʻi Island, that future is already here.

Only 1 in 5 households in Hawaiʻi can afford to buy a single-family home, a dramatic drop from just three years ago.

The federal poverty level for a family of four in Hawaiʻi is just under $36,000 — but the actual household survival budget is closer to $107,795.

Nearly 30% of the 170,000 youth entering Hawaiʻi's workforce over the next decade will face a lack of viable opportunities to build a sustainable future here.

Enrollment in career and technical education pathways has surged in Hawaiʻi, but the programs aren't serving boys and girls equally across the state.

Read KPB's fall 2024 newsletter with updates on our focus grantees fundraising and more.