23 Apr 2016

Number of Christchurch job-seekers rises by 20 percent

3:03 pm on 23 April 2016

The number of people on the job-seeking benefit in Christchurch has risen by 20 percent in the past year, and the Labour Party says that may be due to a skill shortage in the region.

The Ministry of Social Development's quarterly statistics show the number grew from 5728 in March last year to 6899 this year.

Labour's Canterbury spokesperson, Megan Woods, said major rebuilding projects were years behind schedule, and that was having an effect on jobs.

She said more research was needed to find out if the increase in job-seekers was because of a lack of skills to do the work.