Priority One chief executive Andrew Coker (pictured) said the Tauranga economy was sustainably strong at the moment for several reasons: The Bay was less affected by the dairy sector than other provinces and more people were moving to the area coinciding with the residential and commercial construction boom. The past 12 months saw the highest number of building consents since 2013 while the kiwifruit sector was also strong, he said.
"Prior to PSA we were exporting 110 million trays in export. Post PSA, five years on, we are 120 million trays or more and looking at exponential growth in that industry."
There were also a number of businesses moving here from other parts of the country which created more employment opportunities locally.
Tauranga Chamber of Commerce chief executive Stan Gregec said it was great to see a sustained period of job growth in the Tauranga region.
"Part of this is still catch-up.
"We've got to remember that our region was late to the party, and so it's no surprise that we're still feeling the effects of a buoyant local economy - continuing beyond where other regions are at the moment.
"The job growth hasn't been in a single area but is being felt across the board benefiting many sectors of our local economy," Mr Gregec said.
"There's never been a better time to find work or start a business in Tauranga, as we have a lot of change and growth happening simultaneously."
Tauranga Mayor Stuart Crosby said he was not surprised the unemployment rate had come down when he looked at all the activity across the workforce sectors.
"There is still opportunity in 2016 to lower the rate further," he said.
Higher employment rates created good social outcomes including pride, sense of worth and involvement in the community, he said.
"It's about contributing to the growth and development of your community too."
Smart Growth implementation manager Duncan Tindall said areas like Tauriko where residential and commercial builds had been implemented showed the planning to make land available was robust.
Mr Tindall was confident about future growth within the Bay.
Couple headed down once jobs were confirmed
Vanessa Laval-Glad moved to Tauranga with her husband Gunter Glad from Auckland earlier this year.
They were able to make the move three months earlier than planned after Mr Glad secured his job at Datacom as a software developer.
Mrs Laval-Glad moved her Auckland-based business Indigo Moon Photo and Video to the Bay too.
Mrs Laval-Glad said they had bought a section in Tauranga and started building their home last year so had their eyes out for jobs.
When they did start looking seriously they were able to find one quickly and moved down in February, she said.
