News
Prospects bright for Manukau
Manukau, on the North Island, has seen its economy expand by 5.7 per cent in the year to March, continuing a pattern of high growth which is almost three times the national average.
The national economy grew by 2.2 per cent over the same period, and the Auckland region by 5.1 per cent.
Unemployment in Manukau fell and the labour and skills shortage, which had been making it hard for employers to find staff, eased significantly.
A mix of factors is affecting the region's business community, with an increase in tourism and investment into the area, as well as recent government tax relief packages and other positive measures announced in the recent budget.
On the other hand, high petrol prices and interest rates are a dampening factor on growth. Manukau's unemployment rate has fallen from 6.2 per cent in December to 5.8 per cent in March, although it is still much higher than the national average of 3.9 per cent.
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16 April 2007