Auckland Chamber of Commerce says the latest official figures overstate unemployment in the region.
Figures issued by Statistics New Zealand last week showed unemployment in the Auckland region had risen to 65,000 in the September quarter, an increase of 10,000 since the end of June.
The Household Labour Force survey said the unemployment rate in the region was 8.6% compared to 7.3% nation-wide.
However Auckland Chamber of Commerce chief executive Michael Barnett says evidence from Work and Income suggests the number of people on benefits in Auckland has in fact dropped.
Mr Barnett says both central and local government could help create jobs by pushing ahead with big projects such as a proposed convention centre and building more houses.
