The state's latest economic forecast projects deeper declines in jobs, personal income and visitor spending this year than previously projected, with meager growth in the next two years.

The forecast marks yet another revision of the state's projections as Hawai'i plods through what some have called the worst recession since statehood.

It now says 2009 visitor spending will shrink by nearly 8 percent this year, as opposed to the almost 2 percent decline it projected in February.

Ted Liu, director of the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, issued a statement with wording that was almost unchanged from one three months ago when he announced a downward revision of the state's economic forecast.

"National and international economic conditions continue to negatively affect Hawai'i's economy and this will likely be the case for most of 2009," Liu said.

"We are hopeful the situation will improve late this year, but recovery is likely to be a gradual process."

He also struck a familiarly hopeful note in saying the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act should provide a lift later this year as the state makes investments, especially those in energy efforts.

Residents are having to cope with unemployment at a three-decade high, while tourism counts shrink and private construction projects drop off.

A Lingle administration effort to accelerate $1.8 billion of public construction activity also hasn't been as successful as desired.

The state forecast is one of several issued by economists locally and is revised every quarter as more data become available. Other forecasts issued by the University of Hawai'i Economics Research Organization and Leroy Laney, a consultant to First Hawaiian Bank, generally have been more pessimistic than those from the state.

The state revised forecasts downward in February and November. The latest projections have the state's gross domestic product falling 1.6 percent this year when adjusted for inflation.

The state also estimates there will be only anemic growth in the following two years, as real gross state product rises a mere 0.4 percent in 2010 and 0.9 percent in 2011.

Other revisions showing a slower recovery include: