A Whangarei mother who has been unemployed since May says while she is surprised unemployment rate has reached a two-year high in Northland, job hunting in the region is "disheartening".
But a Northland economist says while the figures are a concern - there was no need for panic as the number of people in employment had also increased.
The latest Statistics New Zealand figures for the region show the unemployment rate was at a two year high with 9100 people (10.6 per cent) searching for work in the June quarter - more than double the national unemployment rate of 5.1 per cent.
Steph Partridge, a mother of two, has been out of work since May and has been trying to find a part-time job through any avenue she can. She's searched through online job listings has handed her CV in to shops and has tried Work and Income, even though she does not want a benefit.
"A lot of the jobs popping up I can't do because I can't work weekends and I can't start before 9am. I've put my name forward for real estate, I've put my name forward for whatever pops up."