Episode 4:
M0bility
in Maui county
Worker mobility in maui COunty:
How many workers are there, and who has a chance to advance?
This analysis reflects Maui County as a whole—including Maui, Molokaʻi, and Lānaʻi—recognizing that each island has distinct conditions and experiences. Because the data available is at the county level, it does not fully capture these more localized differences.
Maui County workers has 81,000 workers who are skilled through alternative routes (STARs). 30% earn above a living wage, and 6,509 are within $10,000 of a living wage.
In Maui County alone, an estimated 6,509 workers are within $10,000 of a living wage—representing individuals who are already participating in the labor market, but whose earnings fall just short of long-term economic stability. Many workers are further from this threshold, but a meaningful share of residents are already within reach. The challenge to get all workers to a living wage exists at different layers, but one of those layers is immediately actionable.
This creates a clear starting point for action. By focusing on workers who are already close to a living wage, Maui County can begin to strengthen and connect mobility pathways—linking accessible jobs to roles that provide long-term economic stability.
The research from UHERO provides a clear view into what happens when workers successfully transition into higher-wage roles. Participants in Good Jobs Hawaiʻi experienced approximately $7,200 in annualized wage gains within two quarters of completing training.
Applying this observed outcome to Maui County suggests a significant opportunity. If workers within reach of a living wage were able to make similar transitions, the result would be a meaningful shift in individual earning trajectories—moving from roughly $58,771 per year to more than $65,971.
Programs like Good Jobs Hawaiʻi demonstrate that these outcomes can be achieved at relatively low cost—approximately $2,000 per participant. At full scale, supporting these transitions across the full population would require a substantial investment, but the more practical question is what becomes possible if we act consistently over time.
Why it matters:
potential worker and economic impact in maui County
in Maui County, supporting 650 workers per year—just 10% of those within reach of a living wage—creates a compounding effect over time. Each year, a new group of workers gains access to higher-wage opportunities. As those gains accumulate, the number of residents earning sustainable wages steadily increases.
After ten years, this approach would support approximately 6,500 workers. Based on observed outcomes from Good Jobs Hawaiʻi, this would generate more than $258 million in additional earnings over that period. The total investment required—approximately $13 million over ten years—is modest in comparison.
Strategically investing in workforce mobility pathways in Maui County could yield a return of nearly $20 in additional earnings for every $1 invested.
When we extend this model beyond individual earnings, the broader economic impact becomes clearer. Over ten years, the projected wage gains—approximately $258 million—translate into roughly $361 million in total economic activity in Maui County when accounting for how income circulates through the local economy.
This reflects a simple but often overlooked dynamic: when residents earn more, they spend more locally—supporting businesses, services, and jobs across the community.
At a total investment of approximately $13 million, this represents a return of nearly $28 in economic activity for every $1 invested. To understand the significance of this impact, it helps to place it in the context of Maui County’s overall economy. Maui County’s total economic output is approximately $12 billion per year. At full scale, the annual impact of this model represents a measurable share of that total—on the order of a few tenths of a percent of the County’s economy each year—large enough to be felt across communities, businesses, and public systems.
This growth is not driven by the creation of new industries or the attraction of external investment. It is generated by improving how residents move into and through existing opportunities—unlocking economic potential that is already present within the local workforce.
This is not just about economic growth, it’s about shaping the quality of the economy over time—supporting more residents in accessing jobs that provide stable, living wages within the industries that already exist.
So where should Maui County focus first?
Which parts of the economy offer access, wages, or growth—and where do those conditions need to be better aligned to support economic mobility at scale?
Continue reading for all the details, or jump to the Maui County summary.
Maui County’s workforce system contains real opportunities for economic mobility—but those opportunities are unevenly aligned.
As a result, workers can often find opportunity—but not consistently in ways that lead to stable, long-term economic mobility.
While statewide data helps us understand broad patterns, the conditions that shape real career pathways—employer demand, training capacity, wages, and access—are experienced locally. In Maui County, we see emerging signals of aligned opportunity in sectors like healthcare and construction—industries where accessible roles, living wages, and employer demand begin to intersect. By focusing on the county level, we can get a clear snapshot of current conditions and model what sustained progress could look like in a way that is both concrete and grounded in real labor market conditions. To move from analysis to action, we grouped industries based on how access, wages, and growth come together in practice.
Summary of Maui County Industries
Industries and specific factors are color-coded based on their potential to support economic mobility.
Partial
With only one or two factors inconsistently present, these are not full mobility pathways. But they are still important.
Limited
These sectors do not currently support mobility at scale because factors are not aligned.
Building
These are almost mobility pathways with 2 of the 3 factors present, but something is blocking the third factor.
Anchor
Already functioning mobility pathways where access, living wages, and momentum are aligned.
The table below shows how we categorized each industry as anchor, building, partial, or limited based on momentum, access, and median STAR wage.
*Admin & Support is largely made of healthcare staffing agencies.
Anchors:
Construction and Utilities
Construction
(aligned on paper, contracting in practice)
In Maui County, Construction represents a buildable mobility pathway—where strong wages and improving access are present, and recent growth patterns suggest increasing opportunity for STARs workers despite broader market fluctuations.
42% STARs access
STAR wage: ~$79,616 (above $63,771 living wage threshold)
-4% overall demand vs +21% STARs growth
+25 percentage point growth differential
This sector shows a strong underlying structure for workforce mobility, with wages above the living wage threshold and a meaningful share of roles accessible to STARs workers. While overall demand is slightly declining, growth within STARs-accessible roles is increasing significantly. This suggests that even in a slowing market, opportunity is becoming more inclusive—shifting toward roles that do not require a four-year degree.
Rather than contracting uniformly, the sector appears to be rebalancing. Accessible roles are expanding within a slightly shrinking overall market, indicating that demand is concentrating in positions that are more reachable for local workers. As a result, Construction represents one of the clearest opportunities for building a stronger mobility pathway—where the core conditions exist and are beginning to align more intentionally.
Common roles (by posting volume)
Construction Managers — 18
Maintenance and Repair Workers — 15
Electricians — 11
Administrative Assistants — 9
Solar Photovoltaic Installers — 9
Top hiring employers
Sunrun — 25
Alpha & Co. — 21
CCF Maui Construction — 11
Dorvin D. Leis Co. — 8
Sunrun Installation Services — 7
What the Data Suggests
1. The pathway structure exists—and is strengthening. Wages exceed the living wage threshold, and accessible roles are growing within the sector.
2. Opportunity is becoming more inclusive. Growth in STARs roles (+21%) significantly outpaces overall demand, indicating a shift toward more accessible hiring.
3. Demand is uneven—but not collapsing. While overall postings are slightly down, the increase in accessible roles suggests continued opportunity for entry and advancement.
4. This is a key sector for targeted investment. With the right support—training alignment, project pipelines, and employer coordination—this sector has strong potential to scale mobility outcomes.
Utilities
(high quality, moderate stability)
In Maui County, Utilities represents a high-quality but contracting sector—where strong individual opportunities exist, and accessibility is improving relative to the market, but overall decline and limited scale restrict broader system impact.
72% STARs access
STAR wage: ~$79,616 (above $63,771 living wage threshold)
Declining demand: -28% overall, -15% STARs
+13 percentage point growth differential
This is a high-quality sector where wages are strong and access for STARs workers is relatively high. However, overall demand is declining, even as STARs-accessible roles are contracting more slowly than the broader category. The positive growth differential suggests that accessible roles are holding up better than the rest of the sector, but not expanding in absolute terms. This indicates a relative shift toward more inclusive hiring within a shrinking pool of opportunities, rather than true growth in access.
As a result, the sector offers stable, well-compensated roles—but the number of opportunities is limited, and overall contraction constrains its ability to expand mobility at scale.
Common roles (by posting volume)
Financial Managers — 19
Securities, Commodities & Financial Services Sales Agents — 13
Engineering Technologists and Technicians — 6
Electricians — 6
Architectural and Engineering Managers — 5
Top hiring employers
Hawaiian Electric Company — 61
Hawaiian Electric Industries — 35
Tropic Water — 9
King Power Systems — 6
Brookfield Renewable — 4
What the Data Suggests
1. Jobs are high-wage and infrastructure-oriented. Roles are tied to energy systems, utilities, and technical operations.
2. Scale limits system impact. Even with strong wages and relatively high access, the total number of opportunities remains small.
3. Accessibility is improving within a shrinking sector. STARs roles are declining more slowly than overall demand, but not growing in absolute terms—limiting expansion of opportunity.
healthcare
(high value, but access constrained)
In Maui County, Healthcare represents a high-value but access-constrained pathway—where strong wages exist, but limited access and flat demand restrict its ability to support mobility at scale.
46% STARs access
STAR wage: ~$67,328 (above $63,771 living wage threshold)
-35% overall demand vs -35% STARs demand
0 percentage point growth differential
This sector remains one of the most important sources of high-wage employment in Maui County, with median STAR wages exceeding the living wage threshold. However, access remains limited, with fewer than half of roles broadly available to workers without a four-year degree. At the same time, demand is declining across both overall and STARs-accessible roles, indicating that opportunity is not currently expanding.
Unlike a sector where growth is shifting toward more accessible roles, the pattern here is flat—accessible roles are neither gaining nor losing share, and total opportunity is contracting. This suggests that while the pathway structure remains intact, it is not currently scaling. As a result, Healthcare continues to offer strong individual mobility outcomes, but does not yet function as a broadly accessible or expanding pathway for the wider workforce.
Common roles (by posting volume)
Registered Nurses — 272
Health Technologists and Technicians — 140
Licensed Practical & Vocational Nurses — 81
Counselors — 52
Radiologic Technologists and Technicians — 52
Top hiring employers
Kaiser Permanente — 456
BAYADA Home Health Care — 68
Hale Makua Health Services — 62
Sonic Healthcare USA — 39
Boys & Girls Clubs of Maui — 35
What the Data Suggests
1. Wages support mobility—but access limits reach. Median STAR wages exceed the living wage threshold, but fewer than half of roles are broadly accessible.
2. Opportunity is not expanding. Declines in both overall and STARs postings suggest fewer opportunities over time.
3. The pathway exists—but is not scaling. Unlike sectors where growth is shifting toward accessible roles, Healthcare remains structurally strong but static.
4. Access is the primary constraint. Expanding entry points—through training, credentialing, and hiring practices—would be key to increasing mobility impact.
Maui has a narrow set of “Qualified opportunity” sectors: hospitality; information and technology; public administration, administration and support services
These sectors show promise as potential mobility pathways, but are not as strong as anchor pathways for various reasons.
hospitality
(central sector, near sustainability but not expanding)
In Maui County, Hospitality represents a central but access-constrained pathway—where improving wages and shifting demand create pockets of opportunity, but limited access prevents those gains from reaching a broad share of workers.
28% STARs access
STAR wage: ~$63,616 (at or just below $63,771 living wage threshold)
-14% overall demand vs +13% STARs growth
+27 percentage point growth differential
This is one of the largest and most central sectors in Maui County, shaping a significant share of employment across the local economy. Wages in STARs-accessible roles are approaching the living wage threshold, with some roles meeting it. At the same time, growth is concentrated in STARs-accessible positions—even as overall demand declines. This suggests that while the sector is contracting slightly, the opportunities that remain are becoming more accessible.
However, overall access remains limited, with fewer than one-third of roles broadly available to workers without a four-year degree. This constrains the number of workers who can benefit from these improving conditions. As a result, the sector plays a foundational role in employment and shows signs of improving mobility conditions—but does not yet function as a broadly accessible or scalable pathway.
Common roles (by posting volume)
Maintenance and Repair Workers — 151
Baggage Porters and Bellhops — 146
Concierges — 110
Sales Representatives (Services) — 100
Sales Managers — 85
Top hiring employers
Marriott International — 602
Hyatt — 138
Four Seasons — 124
Hilton — 119
Ritz-Carlton — 77
What the Data Suggests
1. The sector operates at significant scale. Large employers and high posting volumes indicate its central role in the local labor market.
2. Wages are approaching sustainability. Some roles meet or near the living wage threshold, especially in supervisory and operational positions.
3. Opportunity is becoming more accessible within a shrinking market. Growth in STARs roles (+13%) despite overall decline (-14%) suggests a shift toward more inclusive hiring.
4. Access remains the primary constraint. With only 28% of roles accessible, most opportunities remain out of reach for workers without degrees.
Information and Technology
(Emerging high-value sector)
In Maui County, Information & Technology represents an emerging access-driven pathway—where rapid growth and expanding inclusion are creating new entry points, but wages and role composition have not yet aligned to support broad-based economic mobility.
51% STARs access
STAR wage: ~$51,968
Diverging trends: +37% overall, +150% STARs
+13 differential
This sector shows strong signs of expanding access for STARs workers, with growth in accessible roles significantly outpacing overall job growth. The scale of this shift suggests that employers are increasingly opening technology-related roles to workers without four-year degrees. However, wages remain below the living wage threshold, indicating that while access is improving rapidly, these roles are not yet translating into consistent economic mobility. The sector is growing—and becoming more inclusive—but has not yet reached a level where it can reliably support long-term financial stability.
A closer look at the underlying roles reinforces this dynamic. Much of the current demand is concentrated in sales, telecommunications, and operational support functions rather than core technical occupations such as software development or engineering. This suggests that the sector reflects a mix of tech-enabled and tech-adjacent roles, rather than a fully developed, locally anchored technology ecosystem.
Common roles (by posting volume)
Sales Representatives (Technical & Scientific) — 25
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers — 14
Maintenance and Repair Workers — 9
Advertising Sales Agents — 6
Sales Representatives (Non-Technical) — 5
Top hiring employers
Travel & Leisure Group Ltd — 19
Verizon Communications — 18
Spectrum — 16
Altafiber — 7
Trilogy International — 7
What the Data Suggests
1. Access is expanding rapidly. Growth in STARs roles (+150%) far outpaces overall growth, signaling a meaningful shift toward more inclusive hiring.
2. Wages have not yet caught up. Despite strong growth, median wages remain below the living wage threshold, limiting mobility outcomes.
3. Roles are tech-adjacent, not core technical. Current demand is concentrated in sales, telecom, and operational support rather than high-skill technical occupations.
4. The sector is emerging, not yet established. Patterns reflect early-stage development, with strong momentum but incomplete alignment across access, wages, and role quality.
Public administration
(stable but constrained access)
In Maui County, Public Administration represents a constrained and contracting pathway—where stable, higher-quality roles exist, but access is limited and shrinking, reducing its ability to support mobility at scale.
20% STARs access (low)
STAR wage: ~$60,000
Strong growth: -47% overall, -55% STARs
-8 percentage point growth differential
This is a traditionally stable sector, but current data shows a contraction in both overall demand and STARs-accessible roles. While some positions offer relatively strong wages, the median wage for STARs roles falls below the living wage threshold, and access remains limited.
Growth is not only constrained—it is declining more rapidly for STARs-accessible roles than for the sector overall. This suggests that opportunity within Public Administration is becoming less accessible over time, particularly for workers without four-year degrees.
As in other counties, higher-wage roles in this sector are often tied to credentialing, civil service requirements, or prior experience. Entry-level roles exist, but they tend to offer lower wages and limited progression without additional qualifications.
Common roles (by posting volume)
Administrative Assistants — 18
Office Clerks — 10
Construction and Building Inspectors — 9
Child, Family, and School Social Workers — 7
Athletic Trainers — 7
Top hiring employers
State of Hawaiʻi — 67
Hawaiʻi State Department of Education — 36
Keʻaki Technologies — 13
Maui Family Support Services — 9
Hawaiʻi State Judiciary — 9
What the Data Suggests
1. Jobs are relatively stable—but not expanding. Public sector roles continue to provide important employment, but current trends show declining demand rather than growth.
2. Access is limited and becoming more constrained. Low STARs access and faster decline in accessible roles suggest barriers to entry are not improving.
3. Wages are mixed and often below mobility thresholds. While some roles offer strong compensation, the median for accessible roles falls below the living wage.
4. Public systems still have leverage. Because this sector is shaped by policy and hiring practices, there is a clear opportunity to expand access through changes to credentialing, hiring pathways, and training alignment.
Administration and Support services
In Maui County, Administrative & Support Services plays an important role in providing access to employment, but does not consistently support mobility on its own. Its scale makes it a critical part of the system—but its wages and declining demand limit its ability to function as a reliable pathway to economic stability.
54% of roles are STARs-accessible
Median STAR wage: ~$60,000 (below $63,771 living wage threshold)
Declining demand: -21% overall, -17% STARs roles
+4 percentage point growth differential
Administrative & Support Services is one of the largest employment categories in Maui County and provides broad access to jobs for workers without a four-year degree. However, wages fall just below the living wage threshold, and overall demand in the sector is declining.
While accessible roles are shrinking more slowly than the broader category (as reflected in the positive growth differential), this does not translate into expanding opportunity at scale. Instead, the sector appears to function more as a point of entry into the labor market than as a consistent pathway to long-term economic mobility.
As in other counties, a portion of job postings in this category reflects underlying demand from other sectors—particularly healthcare—surfacing through staffing agencies and intermediary firms. This suggests that some of the most critical workforce needs are being met through indirect hiring structures rather than direct, stable employment pathways.
Common roles (by posting volume)
Registered Nurses — 268
Airfield Operations Specialists — 170
Administrative Assistants — 47
Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians — 39
Pest Control Workers — 35
Top hiring employers
County of Maui — 263
Allied Universal — 197
AMN Healthcare — 113
Employers Options — 111
TEKsystems — 53
What the Data Suggests
1. Healthcare demand is embedded within this category. Many higher-wage roles—particularly clinical positions—are being surfaced through staffing and intermediary firms rather than direct sector classification.
2. This is a high-access but constrained sector. It plays a major role in connecting workers to jobs, but does not consistently provide wages that support long-term economic stability.
3. Stability may depend on how demand is structured. Reliance on staffing intermediaries suggests an opportunity to strengthen more direct, locally rooted employment pathways, particularly in sectors like healthcare where demand is strong.
What doesn’t hold:
Transportation; finance; professional services; manufacturing
These sectors look like they should provide mobility pathways, but variability, contraction, or current conditions limit their possibility.
transportation
(high access, limited mobility)
In Maui County, Transportation represents a high-access but low-mobility sector—where entry into the workforce is widely available, but declining demand and sub-living wages limit long-term advancement.
81% STARs access
STAR wage: ~$52,096 (below $63,771 living wage threshold)
-35% overall demand vs -35% STARs demand
0 percentage point growth differential
This sector provides one of the most accessible entry points into the labor market, with a large majority of roles open to workers without a four-year degree. However, demand is declining across both overall and STARs-accessible roles, indicating that opportunity is contracting rather than expanding. At the same time, wages remain below the level required for long-term economic stability.
Unlike a sector where growth is shifting toward accessible roles, here the pattern is flat and declining—accessible roles are not gaining share, and total opportunity is shrinking. As a result, while the sector continues to offer entry into the workforce, it does not provide a reliable path to sustained economic mobility.
Common roles (by posting volume)
Customer Service Representatives — 82
Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians — 61
Airfield Operations Specialists — 61
Postal Service Clerks — 60
Couriers and Messengers — 40
Top hiring employers
Mokulele Airlines — 64
United States Postal Service — 50
FedEx — 49
American Airlines Group — 25
Unifi Aviation — 24
What the Data Suggests
1. Access is extremely high—but not expanding. A large share of roles are accessible, but that share is not increasing as demand declines.
2. Opportunity is contracting. Parallel declines in overall and STARs postings suggest fewer total opportunities over time.
3. Wages limit long-term mobility. Most roles fall below the living wage threshold, constraining economic stability.
4. The sector functions as an entry point—not a destination. Workers can enter quickly, but advancing to living-wage roles typically requires transitioning into other sectors.
Finance
(partial signal, uneven growth)
In Maui County, Finance represents a constrained pathway—where growth exists, but is concentrated in less accessible roles, limiting its ability to translate into broad-based mobility without intentional efforts to expand access and progression.
38% STARs access
STAR wage: ~$52,000 (below overall wages)
+5% overall growth vs -22% STARs
-27 differential
This sector shows modest overall growth, but that growth is not reaching STARs-accessible roles. While some accessible positions exist, demand for those roles is declining even as the broader sector expands.
At the same time, wages for STARs roles fall below the living wage threshold, limiting the sector’s ability to support economic mobility. Higher-wage opportunities are present, but tend to be concentrated in roles that require credentials, licensing, or prior experience.
As a result, the sector provides limited entry points into financial services, but does not consistently support progression into higher-paying roles without additional steps. The divergence between overall growth and declining accessible roles suggests that expansion is occurring in parts of the sector that remain out of reach for many workers.
Common roles (by posting volume)
Securities & Financial Services Sales Agents — 26
Nurse Practitioners — 16
Sales Representatives (Services) — 12
New Accounts Clerks — 11
Insurance Sales Agents — 9
Top hiring employers
Bank of Hawaiʻi — 32
Headway — 15
Valley Isle Community Federal Credit Union — 10
PayPal — 8
Central Pacific Bank — 8
What the Data Suggests
1. Growth is concentrated in less accessible roles. Overall expansion is not translating into increased opportunity for STARs workers.
2. Accessible roles are declining. Negative growth in STARs positions suggests shrinking entry points into the sector.
3. Wages limit mobility for accessible roles. Median wages for STARs roles fall below the living wage threshold, constraining economic outcomes.
4. Pathways require intentional design. Without clearer advancement routes—through credentialing, training, and employer alignment—the sector is unlikely to convert growth into meaningful mobility.
professional services
(fragmented and contracting)
In Maui County, Professional Services represents a fragmented and contracting category—where neither wages nor growth consistently support economic mobility, and accessible opportunities are declining over time.
50% STARs access
STAR wage: ~$54,000 (below $63,771 living wage threshold)
-38% overall demand vs -58% STARs demand
-20 percentage point growth differential
This sector shows moderate access, but wages for STARs roles fall below the living wage threshold, limiting its ability to support economic mobility. At the same time, demand is declining sharply across both overall and STARs-accessible roles.
A closer look at the underlying job postings reveals a wide mix of roles—including retail support, logistics, administrative, and seasonal or project-based work—that do not cluster into a single, coherent workforce pathway. Rather than functioning as a distinct sector with clear progression, this category reflects a broad grouping of unrelated functions.
The sharper decline in STARs-accessible roles (-58%) compared to overall demand (-38%) suggests that accessible opportunities are shrinking faster than the sector itself. As a result, even where jobs exist, they are becoming less available to workers without a four-year degree.
Common roles (by posting volume)
Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers — 54
Tax Preparers — 32
Customer Service Representatives — 27
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers — 17
Administrative Assistants — 14
Top hiring employers
H&R Block — 31
KBR — 26
BrightView — 22
Hele — 18
Advantage Solutions — 17
What the Data Suggests
1. Wages do not support mobility. Median STAR wages fall below the living wage threshold, limiting long-term economic stability.
2. Accessible roles are declining rapidly. The sharper drop in STARs job postings indicates shrinking entry points into the sector.
3. The category lacks structural coherence. Roles span multiple industries and functions, reflecting limitations in how the sector is defined rather than a true mobility pathway.
4. Decline limits system relevance. Without sustained demand or wage alignment, the sector cannot support mobility at scale.
manufacturing
(declining and narrowing access)
In Maui County, Manufacturing represents a declining and narrowing sector—where moderate access exists, but falling demand and below-living wages limit its ability to support economic mobility.
46% STARs access
STAR wage: ~$54,144 (below $63,771 living wage threshold)
-27% overall demand vs -32% STARs demand
-5 percentage point growth differential
This sector shows moderate access, but wages for STARs roles fall below the living wage threshold, limiting its ability to support economic mobility. At the same time, demand is declining across both overall and STARs-accessible roles.
The slightly steeper decline in STARs roles (-32%) compared to overall demand (-27%) suggests that accessible opportunities are shrinking faster than the sector itself. Rather than expanding or even stabilizing, the pathway is narrowing.
A closer look at the underlying roles indicates that much of the activity is concentrated in distribution, sales, and operational support functions rather than production-intensive manufacturing. This further limits the presence of clear, skill-building progression pathways within the sector.
Common roles (by posting volume)
Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers — 34
Sales Representatives (Wholesale & Manufacturing) — 21
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers — 18
Maintenance and Repair Workers — 14
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers — 14
Top hiring employers
The Coca-Cola Company — 50
PepsiCo — 14
EssilorLuxottica — 11
Cintas — 9
Encore — 9Wages limit mobility potential
Median STAR wages fall below the living wage threshold, constraining long-term economic stability.
What the Data Suggests
1. Wages limit mobility potential. Median STAR wages fall below the living wage threshold, constraining long-term economic stability.
2. Opportunity is shrinking overall. Declining postings indicate reduced hiring activity across the sector.
3. Accessible roles are shrinking slightly faster. The steeper decline in STARs roles suggests narrowing entry points for workers without degrees.
4. The sector lacks a strong production-based pathway locally. Demand is concentrated in distribution and sales rather than manufacturing production, limiting skill-building progression.
Key Structural features:
concentration and uneven alignment
Taken together, this analysis shows that economic mobility in Maui County is not absent—it is uneven, incomplete, and difficult to scale.
But it also shows something important: the conditions for mobility already exist—they are just not consistently aligned.
In Maui County, workforce opportunity is shaped by uneven alignment across sectors—where access, wages, and growth rarely converge, limiting the ability of any single sector to support mobility at scale. Across sectors, a consistent pattern emerges:
Access is often present—but wages do not reach sustainable levels
Wages are strong in some sectors—but access remains limited
Growth is occurring—but not always in accessible or high-wage roles
Very few sectors combine all three conditions. This creates a labor market where opportunity is not broadly distributed, but instead concentrated in specific roles, segments, or entry points within sectors. Even when strong opportunities exist, they are not consistently accessible to a wide share of workers.
At the same time, several sectors show declining or flat demand—including areas that would otherwise support mobility. This limits the system’s ability to scale opportunity, even where the underlying pathway structure is sound.
The result is not a lack of opportunity—it is uneven alignment. Opportunity exists, but it is fragmented across the labor market rather than consistently structured into clear, scalable mobility pathways.
Maui County:
implications and strategies
In Maui County, the opportunity is not to build entirely new pathways—but to better align, expand, and connect existing ones so that more workers can access and move through them over time.
The pattern on Maui is clear: opportunity exists across the labor market—but the conditions that support mobility rarely align.
Some sectors offer strong access, but wages remain below sustainable levels.
Others offer living-wage jobs, but are difficult to access.
Still others are growing—but not in roles available to most workers.
Very few sectors bring all three conditions together in a way that can scale. This creates a system where:
Entry into work is often possible.
Movement into higher-wage roles depends on where workers start.
Sustained, scalable mobility pathways are limited in number.
A Workforce Strategy for Maui County
Because of this structure, the challenge in Maui County is not simply creating new opportunities—it is strengthening, aligning, and scaling the ones that already exist.
Strengthen high-value but access-constrained pathways
Support sectors where wages are strong but access remains limited—particularly Healthcare and parts of Public Administration—by expanding entry points, training capacity, and hiring practices that open more roles to local workers.Build on sectors where alignment is emerging
Invest in sectors like Construction and Utilities, where wages and momentum are present and access is improving, to help these pathways scale more consistently over time.Improve mobility within dominant industries
Strengthen advancement structures in sectors like Hospitality and Transportation, where large numbers of workers are employed but wages or long-term progression remain limited.Address sectors where opportunity is contracting
Monitor and respond to declining or fragmented sectors—such as Professional Services, Manufacturing, and Wholesale—where shrinking demand and limited alignment reduce their role in supporting mobility.
Maui County presents a clear opportunity to improve outcomes by aligning existing systems—rather than expanding them—making it a strong candidate for coordinated, place-based workforce strategy.
Maui has real pathways to economic stability—but too few of them, and not enough of them are consistently aligned or growing.
roots to canopy
Explore Episode 4
Mobility through Lifelong Learning
An introduction to what we know about workforce training from UHERO’s analysis of Good Jobs Hawaiʻi; how we define workforce opportunity; and statewide mobility trends.
Mobility in Hawaiʻi County
An in-depth analysis of industries; workforce opportunities and challenges; and the potential impact of investment in mobility pathways in Hawaiʻi County.
Mobility in Honolulu County
An in-depth analysis of industries; workforce opportunities and challenges; and the potential impact of investment in mobility pathways in Honolulu County.
Mobility in Kauaʻi County
An in-depth analysis of industries; workforce opportunities and challenges; and the potential impact of investment in mobility pathways in Kauaʻi County.
Learnings and Recommendations
What we learned through this episode; how upward mobility relates to Hawaiʻi’s Generational Workforce Commitment; and actions we can take now.
