Infometrics chief executive Brad Olsen said falling employment was hitting regional economies.
Job declines were biting in seven of 16 regions, he said.
Gisborne had the largest fall in filled jobs in the June 2024 quarter with a 1.2%-per-annum decline, followed by a 0.6%-per-annum decline in Taranaki, and a 0.4%pa drop in Nelson and Wellington regions.
"Employment growth was stronger in parts of the South Island, with jobs growth of above 1%pa in both Otago and Canterbury, despite current economic headwinds."
Joe Herbert Contracting owner Joe Herbert said he had plenty of work on, a mix of fencing and moving cows, which was enough to carry three staff over winter.
"We’ve just been busy enough."
He began installing fencing on a property being developed south of Waihola, about four years ago.
So far, he had installed about 15km of fencing on the property.
The latest part of the fencing project was installing a few kilometres of 2.1m-high boundary fence near State Highway 1.
He did not know what type of animals would be contained by the fence but it was being built in a way to reduce any chance of livestock getting on the road.
Spring would hopefully be busy, Mr Herbert said.
"Our main work is cultivating and baling, but it is hard to know [what will happen] as sheep farmers and dairy farmers have no money, they’re all struggling."
