"We know the numbers of jobs around the country that are available for unskilled people are going to reduce more and more.
"One of the drivers to getting [unemployment numbers] down is to make sure people have qualifications," she said.
Ensuring suitable training was available for jobs in demand was important, Ms Main said.
Government policies discouraging false benefit claims were also likely to factor in Wanganui's decreasing statistics, she said.
Nationally, the number of people on the main benefits fell 4 per cent in the year to March.
Of the 310,000 people on benefits in March, nearly one in three (31 per cent) were aged between 25 and 39 years. Those aged 40 to 54 years made up a similar proportion (32 per cent).
Quarterly figures released by Minister of Social Development Paula Bennett earlier this month showed benefit numbers were trending downward.
About 29,000 fewer Kiwis claimed benefits in the three months to March compared to the previous quarter, she said.
The drop signalled the lowest number of beneficiaries for the March quarter since 2009.
A breakdown showed 92,550 sole parents were on the DPB, 58,208 were claiming sickness benefits and 48,756 people were on unemployment benefits.
Ms Bennett's release coincided with moves to crack down on benefit fraud, including greater information sharing between Work and Income and the IRD.
More than $5 million in welfare was immediately cut from 525 people found in March to be unfairly claiming the benefit, the Government said.
Whanganui MP and Associate Development Minister Chester Borrows said Ministry staff were contacting people who had claimed benefits but failed to fully disclose their income.
Cases of deliberate fraud would result in prosecution, he said.
"Beneficiaries know that when they start work they must advise Work and Income of their changed circumstances." APNZ
