TWEED job placements remain steady compared to other parts of the Northern Rivers, according to Nortec Employment and Training.

Placements fell 5% in November last year, compared to 2010.

This is despite an average fall of 26% across Nortec's coverage between Tweed and just south of Coffs Harbour.

Employment services business manager Scott Wilson said Tweed had a stronger job market.

"There's no doubt about it because Tweed forms part of the Gold Coast," Mr Wilson said.

"And it's harder to find work in some of the other regional areas we work with.

"Based on the placement rates, it's easier to get a job in the Tweed area."

He said Tweed's access to training services, universities and TAFEs compared strongly against other regional areas lacking both jobs and training.

Despite this Nortec has achieved good placement outcomes in all sectors, meaning many jobs had been retained for three months or longer, Mr Wilson said.

He believed aged-care was an industry leading the local job market.

"There's a lot of opportunities for people with the right skills to get into these industries.

"We're a Registered Training Organisation as well, generating aged care courses across the area and getting really good results."

Murwillumbah and District Business Chamber president Toni Zuschke said a theoretically strong local job market was unlikely to include retail workers.

About 20 Murwillumbah shops closed during the past 12 months, she said.

And she said it could not include local self-employed tradespeople.

"There's a high amount of tradies who are self-employed and struggling, and instead of going on the dole they're applying with the mines.

"I can think of a dozen people who have taken up work in the mines because their bread and butter work is not here."

She said aged-care growth was a "no brainer".

"We have the highest aging demographic in the state.

"Because people come here to retire, but don't contribute to the workforce and actually draw on the economy.

"One of the ways the Tweed will grow in the future is in aged care services," Ms Zuschke said.

She also questioned local training provider impact on the job market, based on people's ability to be re-trained.

"If you're a builder are you going to be able to be trained to be a clerk?"

Mr Wilson said if job seekers and employers could capitalise on growth areas such as aged care "that's the key" but it was more difficult in hard hit areas such as retail.