Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne (which are combined in the data) still have a comparatively good unemployment rate of 3.5%.
And promisingly, that rate is improving rather than getting worse for the region, according to Stats NZ.
Despite that marker, a concern for Hawke’s Bay has been highlighted in the “filled jobs changes by region” data.
Hawke’s Bay had a drop of 1.6% (or 1278 jobs) when it came to the number of jobs filled in June 2025 compared to June 2024 – the fourth largest drop of any region across the country.
Only Wellington (2.3%), Auckland (1.9%) and Manawatū-Whanganui (1.9%) had a bigger decline.
Hawke’s Bay has just over 80,600 filled jobs as of June.
A Stats NZ spokeswoman said a decline in job numbers for a region does not always directly impact unemployment.
“[That includes] if the person losing that job had a second job, moves out of the labour force into retirement or study, for example, or leaves the region entirely.”
She also said unemployment rates for regions like Hawke’s Bay/Gisborne were based on smaller samples than national figures, and therefore came with a wide error margin for the 3.5% figure, meaning it was “not statistically significantly different” from the region’s 4.1% unemployment figure for June 2024.
Andrew Lebita, Hawke’s Bay and Wellington branch manager for Unite Recruit, which helps people find employment, particularly in construction and trades, said there had been a visible reduction in jobs.
“Obviously, when there are a lot less jobs, everything becomes a lot more competitive.”
He said there was work out there, but the problem was there was not enough for everyone.
“That makes it really hard for people who are not standing out, especially for young workers who don’t have a chance to turn their potential into reality because they can’t get any experience, because competition is too high.”
He said a lot of factors had contributed to fewer jobs being available – for example, government cuts and reduced spending, to people generally being careful with money amid the current economic climate.
“I think there is work to be done but there is no cash.
“You can’t just point out one [factor] and say that is the reason why, they are combining to create this effect.”
He said the market would pick up again, and it was important job seekers have “the big picture in mind so that they don’t lose hope”.
In terms of advice for people looking for work, he said a common saying was looking for work is a fulltime job, and if you feel you have done that perhaps have a short break then start again.
He also said looking to leverage your contacts, be it family or friends, can help.
Hawke’s Bay woman Shannon Kendall told RNZ she had to take a job out of the region just to find employment.
Kendall is a project manager in the construction industry.
She said after being made redundant in 2024, she spent a year looking for work before finding a job in Palmerston North.
“I was applying for jobs in Auckland, I was applying for jobs in Australia and I was ready to just do whatever I had to do and commute big time to have employment and to stay in my industry,” she told RNZ.
Kendall said it had been a tough 12 months and she was thankful for the job.
But despite finding a job in another town, Kendall told RNZ she was commuting rather than relocating, with a son still enrolled in school in Hawke’s Bay.
Gary Hamilton-Irvine is a Hawke’s Bay-based reporter who covers a range of news topics including business, councils, breaking news and cyclone recovery. He formerly worked at News Corp Australia.
