WASHINGTON: Unemployment in Whanganui has decreased in the last year, bucking the national trend. The unemployment rate in the Manawatu-Whanganui region is down 0.2 per cent, according to Statistics New Zealand. Whanganui Chamber of Commerce President Raewyn Overton-Stuart said strong economic growth across a range of businesses was driving recruitment. “Business confidence is really good,” she said. There are more jobs.”
Unemployment in Manawatu-Whanganui is now 5.9 per cent, slightly above the North Island average of 5.6 per cent. Manawatu-Whanganui is one of only three regions to experience a decrease in the unemployment rate. Whanganui businesses are especially in need of skilled workers, Ms Overton-Stuart told the Wanganui Chronicle. “There are a lot of businesses looking for particular skills.” There have also been a number of entrepreneurs moving into the Whanganui area recently and establishing new businesses, she said. The national unemployment rate has risen 0.3 per cent to 5.2 per cent in the last quarter of 2016. Employment is up as well as unemployment, due to population growth.
