More people in the Bay of Plenty and Rotorua are finding employment, figures have revealed.
According to the data released by Statistics New Zealand, the unemployment rate in the Bay of Plenty, which included Rotorua, dropped to 5.7 per cent from 6.6 per cent the previous quarter. The employment rate also increased by 4 per cent on the previous quarter to 64.2 per cent.
In the December 2014 quarter there were 131,400 people in jobs. Meanwhile there were 8000 unemployed people in the Bay of Plenty.
Trade Staff regional manager Geoff Campbell said there were increasing job opportunities in Rotorua, particularly for tradespeople.
"I would say from mid to the end of last year there has been an increase in the Rotorua market, particularly in the trades sector. We have noticed an increase in career opportunities for trades people."
Mr Campbell said however, the number of people applying for positions had remained static.
"It has held steady. I wouldn't say there has been a lot more people that have approached us in the last six months than usual.
"There is still a large number of people looking for employment in the area but we are noticing more demand for trades type candidates coming out of the Rotorua branch."
Mr Campbell said he expected to see an increasing need for skilled trades workers in the coming months.
"We are expecting to see an increase in demand particularly as the Auckland and Christchurch markets draw skilled tradies from the region, so those positions need to be filled."
Nationally the unemployment rate rose to 5.7 per cent in the three months to December 2014, the Statistics New Zealand data revealed.
Meanwhile the employment rate was at 65.7 per cent - up 1 per cent on the same quarter in 2013.
In the December 2014 quarter, 143,000 people were out of a job in New Zealand. This compared with the 2,375,000 who were employed.
The number of unemployed men rose by 5000 to 66,000, the number of unemployed women by 3000 to 77,000 in this quarter.
Labour market and households statistics manager Diane Ramsay said there was a discrepancy in the number of people wanting jobs, versus the number of jobs available.
"Employment didn't keep up with the record number of people entering the labour force, so even though employment growth was also strong over the quarter, the unemployment rate increased."
Over the latest quarter, the strong rise in employment by 28,000 people did not keep up with the record number of people entering the labour force - increasing the number of people unemployed.
New Zealanders were earning an average ordinary wage of $28.77 per hour - a 2.6 per cent increase.
There was a 1.8 per cent wage increase in the private sector up from the December 2013 quarter while the public sector lagged behind with an increase of 1.2 per cent.
These figures look at the change in pay rates for similar jobs completed to the same standard.
Over the year to the December 2014 quarter, the largest contributors to employment growth were Auckland, up by 22,300 people in jobs, Waikato (up 17,400), Canterbury (up 15,800), and Bay of Plenty (up 15,600).
NZME