Unemployment Rate Comparison
Income

California vs Hawaii: Unemployment Rate

Hawaii has a lower unemployment rate than California.

California flag
California
CA • West
5.5%
Seasonally adjusted unemployment rate (BLS, December 2025).
Hawaii flag
Hawaii
HI • West
Winner
2.2%
Seasonally adjusted unemployment rate (BLS, December 2025).

Visual Comparison

California 5.5%
Hawaii 2.2%

Difference: 3.30 percentage points — Hawaii leads.

Related Context

Jobs Picture

Unemployment is one signal — the employment ratio and job growth round out the full picture.

What This Means

California vs Hawaii: Unemployment Rate in context

Hawaii has a unemployment rate of 2.2%, compared with 5.5% in California. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rate (BLS, December 2025).

California
5.5%
Hawaii
2.2%
Difference
3.30 percentage points

People Also Ask

California vs Hawaii Unemployment Rate — Common Questions

Q What is California's unemployment rate?

California's unemployment rate is 5.5%.

Q What is Hawaii's unemployment rate?

Hawaii's unemployment rate is 2.2%.

Q Which state has a lower unemployment rate — California or Hawaii?

Hawaii has a lower unemployment rate than California.

Sources: Core demographic data comes from the 2020 U.S. Census, with land area from U.S. Census Bureau TIGER files. Income, housing, affordability, and tax fields are maintained in our comparison dataset, with minimum wage data from the U.S. Department of Labor, gas prices from AAA, and electricity rates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Political control and election fields use 2024 presidential results together with National Conference of State Legislatures data. Gun-law labels use the Giffords scorecard, alcohol system data comes from NABCA, and marijuana status uses NCSL's state cannabis laws tracker.