Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Unemployment figures drop by about 6%

Updated at 10:04 pm on 7 March 2010

The number of people on the unemployment benefit has fallen more strongly than it has done since the beginning of the recession.

The Social Development Minister is claiming some credit for the turnaround.

The figures released by the minister, Paula Bennett, show the number of people receiving the unemployment benefit fell in February by 4,224 or about 6%.

There are now 64,145 people collecting the benefit.

Ms Bennett says the drop is due to the success of Work and Income programmes, increasing business confidence and the beginning of seasonal work in the East Coast and Auckland regions.

She says 62% of people picking kiwifruit and other crops are New Zealanders, and most are coming off the benefit to do so.

Ms Bennett says she is cautiously optimistic benefit numbers have peaked but they could rise again in the middle of the year once the seasonal work dries up.

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