Whanganui needs to reinvent itself if it wants to maintain a decent, sound economic base, economist Shamubeel Eaqub said.
He was commenting on the decision by Cavalier Bremworth to shed 68 jobs at its Castlecliff plant.
Mr Eaqub said yesterday smaller centres like Whanganui needed to be working to cushion themselves against the impact of such events.
The broader manufacturing sector had been shedding jobs and those "little cuts" affected provincial centres.
"A lot of this has to do with the types of industries these people are working in, industries which have been shedding jobs for some time."