Tight inventories and COVID-19 restrictions left Hawaii auto dealers spinning their wheels in the third quarter as sales plunged 15.9% amid a struggling economy.

Tight inventories and COVID-19 restrictions left Hawaii auto dealers spinning their wheels in the third quarter as sales plunged 15.9% amid a struggling economy.

While the pandemic has caused catastrophic shake-ups in all sectors of the economy, one of the hardest-hit has been the retail industry.

While the pandemic has caused catastrophic shake-ups in all sectors of the economy, one of the hardest-hit has been the retail industry.

Tight inventories and COVID-19 restrictions left Hawaii auto dealers spinning their wheels in the third quarter as sales plunged 15.9% amid a struggling economy.

While the pandemic has caused catastrophic shake-ups in all sectors of the economy, one of the hardest-hit has been the retail industry.

Tight inventories and COVID-19 restrictions left Hawaii auto dealers spinning their wheels in the third quarter as sales plunged 15.9% amid a struggling economy.

While the pandemic has caused catastrophic shake-ups in all sectors of the economy, one of the hardest-hit has been the retail industry.

While the pandemic has caused catastrophic shake-ups in all sectors of the economy, one of the hardest-hit has been the retail industry.

Tight inventories and COVID-19 restrictions left Hawaii auto dealers spinning their wheels in the third quarter as sales plunged 15.9% amid a struggling economy.

A new 14-day quarantine that starts today for inbound travelers awaiting results of their COVID-19 tests received pushback Monday from the state House Select Committee COVID- 19 Economic and Financial Preparedness, with several members saying the quarantine could hurt Hawaii’s economy just as it’s showing encouraging signs.

While the pandemic has caused catastrophic shake-ups in all sectors of the economy, one of the hardest-hit has been the retail industry.

Tight inventories and COVID-19 restrictions left Hawaii auto dealers spinning their wheels in the third quarter as sales plunged 15.9% amid a struggling economy.

Defense spending in Hawaii — about $5 billion annually in payroll and $2 billion-plus in contracts — has been “an incredibly important stabilizing force” in the state with an economy otherwise wracked by COVID-19, Carl Bonham, executive director of the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization, said Friday.

Despite Hawaii’s COVID-19-related money troubles, Gov. David Ige said Friday that “the last thing we want to do is raise taxes during an economic downturn. The last thing we want to do is have furloughs or layoffs, because we know it exacerbates the slowdown in our economy.”

Hawaii’s COVID-19 hobbled economy is outperforming previous dire predictions and is expected to generate nearly $6.3 billion in tax revenue for the fiscal year that ends in June, although still down 6.5% from last year, the state Council on Revenues plans to tell Gov. David Ige.

Even after enduring a collapse of the state’s economy this year, most Hawaii residents aren’t eager for a return to the 2019 tourism numbers.

It’s going to be more pain before a meaningful gain for Hawaii’s economy.

Can Hawaii meaningfully diversify its economy with a technology sector? With the collapse of our hospitality industry, this question has never been more important.

Hawaii’s economy is starting to show signs of coming back to life from a devastating pandemic that stopped tourism in its tracks and left about a quarter-million people unemployed and numerous businesses forced to close.

A new 14-day quarantine that starts today for inbound travelers awaiting results of their COVID-19 tests received pushback Monday from the state House Select Committee COVID- 19 Economic and Financial Preparedness, with several members saying the quarantine could hurt Hawaii’s economy just as it’s showing encouraging signs.

Even after enduring a collapse of the state’s economy this year, most Hawaii residents aren’t eager for a return to the 2019 tourism numbers.

It’s going to be more pain before a meaningful gain for Hawaii’s economy.

Can Hawaii meaningfully diversify its economy with a technology sector? With the collapse of our hospitality industry, this question has never been more important.

Hawaii’s economy is starting to show signs of coming back to life from a devastating pandemic that stopped tourism in its tracks and left about a quarter-million people unemployed and numerous businesses forced to close.

A new 14-day quarantine that starts today for inbound travelers awaiting results of their COVID-19 tests received pushback Monday from the state House Select Committee COVID- 19 Economic and Financial Preparedness, with several members saying the quarantine could hurt Hawaii’s economy just as it’s showing encouraging signs.

Only half of the respondents in a recent Department of Health survey indicated they would take the COVID-19 vaccination, while about 24.4% said they were not likely to get immunized against the virus that has sickened nearly 25,500 Hawaii residents, killed 404 and ravaged the economy.

State lawmakers are prepared to have perhaps their most serious discussions about whether to allow some form of legalized gambling in Hawaii in the face of monumental budget shortfalls, a struggling tourism-based economy and the overwhelming challenge of trying to get Native Hawaiians onto state Hawaiian home lands.

Gov. David Ige wants Hawaii to develop a more robust digital economy — “a Hawaii 2.0” pivot — that would spread broadband connectivity to rural communities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has strangled tourism.

With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to damage Hawaii’s struggling economy, state House and Senate leaders have a long list of ideas that they either hope or expect to hear from Gov. David Ige during his State of the State address today.