Total employment in Wales has reached a record level - according to the latest quarterly Labour Force Survey published today (August 15) by the Office of National Statistics. In the three months from April to June, total employment in Wales reached 1,360,000; up 32,000 compared with the same period the previous year and up 13, 000 over the previous quarter.
The year-on-year comparison represents a 2.4 per cent increase in numbers employed in Wales compared with a 0.5 per cent increase for the United Kingdom as a whole.
This means the employment rate among people of working age in Wales stood at 72.3 per cent, up 0.8 percentage points on the previous year, compared to a drop of 0.1% for the UK as a whole.
The figures underline a long term trend. Over the last decade, the increase in numbers employed in Wales has been greater than across the UK as a whole - and, since the creation of the Assembly Government, employment has grown by 147,000.
Unemployment figures for July showed an 8.8 per cent drop - down to 40,300 compared with June last year. According to these latest statistics, the overall unemployment rate for Wales stands at 5.5 per cent.
Inactivity amongst working age people for the three months to June fell by 11,000 compared to the same period the previous year. The rate was 23.4 per cent, a reduction of 0.7 percentage points over the year.
Welcoming the figures, Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones, said:
These latest figures, including the substantial reduction in the levels of economic inactivity, are good news for Wales. As Minister for the Economy and Transport, I will continue to ensure that the Assembly Government provides effective support for businesses the length and breadth of Wales, creating further employment opportunities within a competitive, diverse and dynamic economy.
http://new.wales.gov.uk/news/ThirdAssembly/Business/2007/1751872/?lang=en
