NEWS UPDATE – Welsh Jobs Figures Hit Record High

Welsh Jobs Figures Hit Record High

New figures show Wales has seen the largest increase in the employment rate anywhere in the UK.

75.8% of 16-65 year olds were in employed in Wales between September and November last year, that’s up 3.1% – and at 3.9%, the unemployment rate here is lower than the UK average of 4%.

Welcoming the news, Secretary of State for Wales, Alun Cairns said: “Our ambition is to see every part of the UK thriving, and it is encouraging to see the Welsh employment rate matching the UK for the first time since records began.

“These figures demonstrate an upward trend of ambition in the Welsh economy which I hope continues over the months and years ahead.”

The ONS figures show that more than 1.5 million people are now in work in Wales – that’s more than every other part of the UK, apart from the east, south east and south west of England.

Across the UK as a whole, employment is at a record high of more than 75% – and average weekly earnings for employees increased by 3.4% on last year.

UK Minister of State for Employment Alok Sharma, said: “Once again, we see a new record employment rate in the UK, 75.8 percent, with more people in work than ever before. UK workers also got a much needed pay boost before Christmas with wages outpacing inflation for the tenth month in a row in November, growing at the fastest rate in a decade.”

Today’s figures also reveal the youth unemployment level in the UK has almost halved since 2010, with female employment at a near record high of 71.2%.