The Hawaii Variable: A Data-Based Discussion About the Economy
On September 24, 2020, Hawaii Data Collaborative’s Research Specialist, Kendrick Leong, joined Honolulu Civil Beat and other panelists for a data-based discussion around the impacts of COVID-19 to Hawaii’s economy. Some of the main points Kendrick highlighted were:
The difficulty in finding county and sub-county data to aid decision making on neighbor islands, as opposed to conventional focus on urban Honolulu and the state as a whole;
Examining economic indicators in the context of COVID data, including COVID's impact on changing human behavior that has a secondary effect on retail spending, consumer confidence, and mobility;
Reiterating that economic recovery is value-laden;
Identifying groups that may be left out of federal aid spending (e.g., gig workers left uncovered by the Paycheck Protection Program).
Moderating the discussion was Yoohyun Jung, data reporter for Honolulu Civil Beat; other panelists included Dr. Carl Bonham, Executive Director of the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization (UHERO), and Dr. Peter Fuleky, Research Economist at UHERO.
