An uptick in jobs numbers, after months of declines

Latest figures from Stats NZ show the number of filled jobs increased 0.3 percent in November.

ASB senior economist Mark Smith says it's the first increase in eight months but it's still early days, with the unemployment rate still on the rise.

He says the services sector's done most of the hiring.

Smith says conditions remain tough for sectors like construction, manufacturing and retail, which have fewer jobs than a year ago.