Economy

Riding A Wave: Surfboard Waste Turned Into Building Blocks For New Homes Courtesy Photo/Civil Beat/2025

Riding A Wave: Surfboard Waste Turned Into Building Blocks For New Homes

Hawaiʻi is the home of surfing. Could old surfboards provide residents with new environmentally friendly homes?

Experts Puzzle Over What The National ‘Chaos’ Might Do To Hawaiʻi’s Economy Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2022

Experts Puzzle Over What The National ‘Chaos’ Might Do To Hawaiʻi’s Economy

The state Council on Revenues takes a cautious posture, making few changes to its state tax collection projections for the years ahead.

Like The French And Champagne, Hawaiʻi Farmers Want Protections For Poi Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024

Like The French And Champagne, Hawaiʻi Farmers Want Protections For Poi

The Attorney General is uneasy about such protections, fearful they would break interstate commerce rules.

A ‘Super-Aged’ Population Poses Major Challenges For Hawaiʻi Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2019

A ‘Super-Aged’ Population Poses Major Challenges For Hawaiʻi

The Covid-19 pandemic changed the outlook for the state’s oldest seniors from optimistic to more sobering, a recent report says.

Trump Job Cuts In Hawaiʻi: Economists Predict 2,200+ Layoffs (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)

Trump Job Cuts In Hawaiʻi: Economists Predict 2,200+ Layoffs

The estimate does not include up to 1,200 jobs potentially lost at the University of Hawaiʻi or layoffs expected related to future downsizing of government and grants.

Lawmakers Question HECO Plan To Collect $1 Billion From Customers Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2023

Lawmakers Question HECO Plan To Collect $1 Billion From Customers

The utility’s bid to shore up its financial footing with a fund that covers and caps future wildfire liability is backfiring in the Legislature.

Hawai‘i Condo Owners Could Benefit From  State Plan To Prop Up Insurance Market Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2022

Hawai‘i Condo Owners Could Benefit From State Plan To Prop Up Insurance Market

Lawmakers are moving forward with bills that would rescue owners facing rising rates.

This Luxury Kauaʻi Hotel Is Housing Foreign Workers In Container Homes (Brittany Lyte/Civil Beat/2025)

This Luxury Kauaʻi Hotel Is Housing Foreign Workers In Container Homes

The 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay also bought a multimillion-dollar home in a working class neighborhood to house upper management.

Data Dive: China Tariffs Could Hike Cost of Food, Luggage, Furniture, Clothing David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024

Data Dive: China Tariffs Could Hike Cost of Food, Luggage, Furniture, Clothing

China supplies products for many Hawaiʻi businesses that would be affected by the Trump administration’s 10% tariff.

Waikīkī Restaurant Owner Investigated For Not Paying Workers April Estrellon/Civil Beat/2024

Waikīkī Restaurant Owner Investigated For Not Paying Workers

State, federal agencies are looking into claims of bounced paychecks from the owner of Makana Lani and Burgers on Bishop.