Seasonally adjusted jobless rate falls
HONOLULU - Hawaii's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate has fallen to 6.3 percent.
The Hawaii State Department of Labor and Industrial Relations says April's unemployment rate was down from 6.4 percent in March.
Nationally, last month's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 8.1 percent, down from 8.2 percent in March.
By county, where the rates are not seasonally adjusted, Maui fell to 6.5 percent from 7.1 percent; Honolulu was down to 5.3 percent from 5.7 percent; Kauai fell to 7.7 percent from 8.1 percent; and Hawaii County declined to 8.7 percent from 9.2 percent.
April marks the third consecutive month of job count growth.
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HSTA, state conclude labor board case
HONOLULU - The union representing Hawaii's public school teachers has concluded its case before the state labor relations board.
The Hawaii State Teachers Association claims members' rights were violated when the state implemented its "last, best and final" offer.
The state also rested its case Thursday. It's not clear when the board will make a decision.
Ten months of hearings conclude as the union votes on a contract agreement it previously rejected.
Gov. Neil Abercrombie says the hearings have been a "distraction." The union says it is defending collective bargaining rights.
State education officials have said some Race to the Top reforms have been slowed by the labor dispute. The U.S.
Department of Education has warned Hawaii could lose a $75 million grant if improved progress isn't made on promised reforms.
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Workshop aims to help maximize workers
WAILUKU - The Society for Human Resource Management Hawaii will be presenting the workshop "The First 90 Days: How to Take Employees from New Hire to Peak Performer" on Friday from 2 to 4:30 p.m. at the MEO Family Center.
Alexia Vernon, a career and workplace expert, will share simple and easy-to-apply techniques for meeting new hires and turning them into thriving employees by the end of the first quarter. Many companies have not developed a systematic approach to "onboarding" new employees.
This presentation is geared for hiring managers, human resources professionals, trainers, department managers and other workplace staff who develop employees.
This event is free to society members and $15 for nonmembers. For more information or to RSVP, send email to debbe.
cabebe@meoinc.org or call 249-2990 at the MEO Family Center, 99 Mahalani St.
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Solar farm now running at peak capacity
LANAI CITY - La Ola, a solar farm on Lanai is now producing at its full capacity at 1.5 megawatts of solar energy as a result of the installation of an XP Dynamic Power Resource (battery storage), an announcement said.
Officials credited Maui Electric Co. with maximizing the use of solar energy into the Lanai power grid.
La Ola, the largest solar farm in the state, is the world's first utility-grade photovoltaic project to incorporate battery storage, the company said.
The solar farm is capable of supplying up to 30 percent of daytime peak electrical demand on Lanai and 10 percent of the island's total power needs.
La Ola is owned and operated by Lanai Sustainability Research LLC and is managed by Castle & Cooke Solar Management LLC.
