While unemployment has edged down slightly in New Zealand as a whole it has edged up marginally in Whanganui, Social Development regional commissioner Gloria Campbell says.
But Whanganui and Partners economic development officer Chris Heywood says there's lots going on in construction and plenty of jobs on offer - for people with the right skills.
The country's latest Household Labour Force Survey showed jobless numbers had dropped slightly, from 5.2 per cent in the three months to March to 5.1 per cent in the three months to June.
The survey also said the number of people of working age who were "underutilised" was 12.7 per cent - a new statistic that can apply to jobless people not actively looking for work and also to people in jobs who want more work.
In the Whanganui District the number of people on the jobseeker support benefit increased by 30 in the last three months, Ms Campbell said. During the same time 73 people on the sole parent benefit moved into work.