Forestry might be back and buzzing but for many other industries in the North Island's east coast, layoffs have been sharply rising.
The latest job seeker numbers show more than 10,000 people actively looking for work in the region that includes Gisborne and Hawke's Bay.
For others it's a waiting game to see if employers will keep them on when the subsidy cash runs out.
Hawke's Bay reporter Tom Kitchin has the story.