Steven Joyce is defending allegations the job market has worsened.

Statistic New Zealand has released its March 2016 quarter for the labour market yesterday, which showed New Zealand's labour workforce has grown 1.5 percent.

In comparison, the unemployment rate rose from 5.4 percent to 5.7 percent, but is still lower than this time last year.

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Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Steven Joyce said 51,000 additional new jobs have been created in the past six months alone.

Mr Joyce said the increase in the unemployment rate is due to a lift in the participation rate, not fewer jobs in the economy.

Statistics New Zealand manager of labour and income statistics Mark Gordon said a significant increase in the size of our labour workforce has increased both the number of employed and unemployed people in the country.

Mr Gordon said the labour force growth was the largest since December 2004, hence why it's increased both the number of employed, and unemployed.

He adds it's unlikely there are less jobs, growth in employment opportunities exceeded population growth.

Construction and professional service industries showed the largest growth, but hiring in Canterbury construction has levelled.

The top regions for job growth are Auckland and the Bay of Plenty.