Unemployment in Southland rose during 2017. Photo: Getty ImagesEmployment confidence in Southland slumped in the three months ended December and households in the region are now the most pessimistic in the country. The Westpac McDermott Miller Employment Confidence index, released this morning, gave Southland a confidence rating of 106.9, down 8.4 points on September. Unemployment in Southland rose during 2017 and most parts of the agricultural sector were facing challenging conditions. Otago confidence rose 3.1 points in the December quarter to 112.

Source: Otago Daily Times January 15, 2018 20:26 UTC