There really is no excuse for any able-bodied male or female to be unemployed in Hawke's Bay at the moment.
Our apple trees are laden with a bumper crop — all that's missing are pickers.
Yes it might be a hassle to go off the unemployment benefit for just a few months and then have to reapply. I'm not sure how that works but as Hawke's Bay Seasonal Labour Group chairman Gary Jones says it could well lead to a full-time job in the industry.
Read more: More hands needed as bumper crop leaves Hawke's Bay industry 'flat out'
How much better to earn your own money by doing an honest day's work outdoors than sit indoors waiting for a benefit to land in your bank account.