Pessimism surrounding the jobs market has eased slightly, boosted by the rebuilding of earthquake-hit Christchurch.
The Westpac McDermott Miller Employment Confidence Index edged up to 99.1 in the three months to December last year.
A result below 100 indicates more pessimists than optimists.
Westpac senior economist Felix Delbruck says while Canterbury is upbeat, households in most other regions are not.
