Wales TUC: 409,000 working-age adults in Wales are living in poverty

• New official statistics show working-age poverty in Wales was not falling before the pandemic, despite employment growth.
• ‘Levelling up pay will put fuel in the tank for a faster recovery’, says Wales TUC

TUC analysis of new official poverty figures has found that working-age poverty in Wales has not fallen since 2010/11, despite unemployment falling significantly in the years before the pandemic.

The proportion of working-age people living in poverty was 22% in 2010/11, and remains at 22% in 2019/20, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics.

The lack of progress comes despite unemployment in Wales falling from 7.9% in 2011 to 3.2% in 2020.

Wales TUC says that as we recover from the pandemic we need to prioritise creating good quality, fair work jobs that do not leave families stuck in poverty.

Wales TUC General Secretary Shavanah Taj said:

“Hard work should pay off for everyone in Wales, no matter who you are or the job you do. But millions of our workers are denied a fair share of the wealth they create.

“The Prime Minister keeps talking about levelling up – let’s see it for the low paid. Get the minimum wage up to £10 an hour without delay. And provide the funding necessary to ensure that all key workers get the pay rise that they deserve.

“This isn’t just about doing the right thing for workers. High streets and business in Wales won’t recover if people have nothing to spend. Pay growth is fuel in the tank. It will drive our recovery much faster, supporting business growth and job creation.”