Job listings are on the rise along with the number of people applying for jobs in the region.
Alongside local job hunters many from outside the region were chasing work in Hawke's Bay, Chamber of Commerce CEO Wayne Walford said.
The benefits of working in the area were attracting workers from further afield, he said.
His comments come after Trade Me listings for Hawke's Bay jobs rose, along with the number of job applications.
Trade Me figures show local listings were up 5.9 per cent in the three months to the end of September, compared to the same time last year.
Applications for advertised jobs were up 13.3 per cent.
Mr Walford said people were realising Hawke's Bay was a great place to live and work.
"We have seen some really positive movements in the engineering and manufacturing sector while our exports remain strong. It's a huge positive for the region and the more sustainability we can achieve, the easier it will be for people from outside the region to bring in new business."
Napier MP Stuart Nash was also optimistic about economic growth in the Bay.
"I think you'll see a much different Hawke's Bay in five years time than you see today."
More Treaty of Waitangi settlements could pump $400 million into the local economy, he said. "I think we will see some fantastic initiatives from the Maori economy in partnership with the local and national economies."
Mr Nash said now amalgamation was out of the way local leaders could focus on growing the economy.
Pipeline Recruitment director Ian Beattie said the figures reflected what the business was experiencing.
"We've seen good activity in the last quarter ... Time will tell in terms of whether it carries on into the new year."
He said there were skill shortages in areas such as engineering and specialist information technology. In other areas, such as administration, there were more job seekers than jobs.
Pipeline Recruitment was being creative in getting advertised roles in front of the right people.
It had listed Gisborne roles under other regions on job websites so job seekers who were not specifically looking for a position in Gisborne would see them. The company would consider doing the same for Hawke's Bay jobs.
Trade Me figures show the average salary of Hawke's Bay jobs listed on the site during the quarter was down 1.2 per cent on the same time last year to $51,181.
Head of Trade Me Jobs Peter Osborne said roles advertised across the country were up only 1.2 per cent in the quarter when compared to the previous year, with the biggest lifts in Bay of Plenty, Auckland and Hawke's Bay.
"With fewer jobs and more applicants, employers won't have to stretch the budget as much to compete for candidates.
"As a result, we expect that average salaries will show little if any growth over the coming quarter."