By ROSALEEN MACBRAYNE
TAURANGA - The Bay of Plenty has the highest rate of long-term unemployed in the country, but the numbers are falling.
Reasonably strong economic growth is expected to continue, says Carl Crafar, of Work and Income New Zealand.
He says that tourism and hospitality, agriculture, forestry and construction are seen as the top growth areas in the Bay of Plenty over the next five years.
At June 30 this year, the Bay of Plenty had a 7.2 per cent jobless rate (21,686 people registered as unemployed), compared with the national average of 6.4 per cent.
Seven per cent had been unemployed for more than four years, with Maori making up the vast majority.
The region, with a population of more than 286,000, stretches from Turangi in the south to Katikati in the north and from Whakatane and Opotiki in the east to Tokoroa in the south. Mr Crafar said that 28 per cent of the population were Maori.
Launching the regional plan in Tauranga with Social Services and Employment Minister Steve Maharey, Mr Crafar said special case management for youth, Maori and long-term unemployed would be introduced by the department in the next year.
Bay's jobs on way up
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