The Prime Minister remains hopeful, for a fall in unemployment this year

Unemployment's reached a ten-year high of 5.4 percent - with Auckland's unemployment rate rising again to 6.4 percent.

Job numbers have increased, but that's been offset by more people joining or re-joining the labour market.

Chris Luxon says the economy's rebounding, and that should flow through to the job market soon.

He says there's always a lag effect - with unemployment being the last economic indicator to turn around.