Population and Employment Report

 - The city population is estimated to have reached 82,100 people as at 30 June 2011, an increase of 870 people from June 2010 (1.1% increase).  National population growth slowed over the last 12 months, increasing by 0.9% from June 2010.

 - This is the third consecutive year that population growth in the city has been higher than or matched the national growth rate.

 - There were 45,590 jobs in the city as at February 2011, a decline of 1,180 jobs from February 2010 (2.5% decline).  There was a 0.4% increase in the number of jobs nationally.

- The sectors which contributed the most to the decline in employment in Palmerston North in the last 12 months were construction (540 jobs decline), public administration and safety (350 jobs decline), education and training (290 jobs decline), manufacturing (220 jobs decline), and accommodation and food services (150 jobs decline).  Some of these changes are due to administrative changes in the way jobs are recorded - the largest increase in employment was in administrative and support services (such as employment companies and cleaning services) (270 jobs increase).

 - A more useful indicator of employment change in the city is data for employee earnings.  The latest data for the year to June 2010 shows a 2.1% decline in the number of jobs in Palmerston North from June 2009 while total employee earnings increased by 2.8%. National data showed a decline of just 0.3% in the number of jobs but earnings were unchanged from the previous year.