Last year’s jump in Hawai‘i building industry payrolls “demonstrates the industry’s strength, and the large number of projects in the pipeline will employ an additional 2,000 workers by 2026, bringing industry employment above 41,000 workers, the highest level on record,” according to the University of Hawai‘i Economic Research Organization (UHERO) and its May 12 forecast.
“Pending construction activity is looking even better than we had anticipated only a few months ago,” the report said. “Very large public sector projects will become an increasingly important part of local construction activity. A plan by the U.S. Navy to spend $4 billion to update naval infrastructure is beginning to appear in local contracts.
“Government spending on roads is also a significant source of recent construction contracts. In January and February the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation awarded $200 million in funds for road improvement projects across the state.”
The report noted real government contracts awarded statewide in 2023 rose 16.3 percent over those awarded in 2022.
