WELLINGTON, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- Construction in New Zealand's largest city Auckland has led employment growth in the region, the country's statistics department Stats NZ said Wednesday.

Construction employed 8,000 more people in the year ending March 2017 than in the previous year, Stats NZ said.

New analysis from the annual release of linked employer-employee data (LEED), enhanced by self-employment data, allows insights into employment growth by region and industry, labor market and household statistics senior manager Jason Attewell said in a statement.

Accommodation and food services contributed most to employment growth in the South Island. In Canterbury, 1,300 more people were employed in this industry in the March 2017 year than in the previous year, statistics showed.

Rebuild-related construction growth looks to have peaked at 40,000 workers in the year ending March 2016, according to Stats NZ.