Welsh Secretary: Labour Market Statistics ‘encouraging’ but we must do more to boost economy in Wales
The Secretary of State for Wales has cautiously welcomed the latest Labour Market Statistics which indicate employment levels in Wales have …
The Secretary of State for Wales has cautiously welcomed the latest Labour Market Statistics which indicate employment levels in Wales have increased. Cheryl Gillan urged the Welsh Government to work with the UK Government, to help turn this single set of positive figures into a long-term upward trend.
The latest statistics show that employment levels in Wales have increased and unemployment levels have decreased slightly. The economic inactivity level and rates decreased significantly and the claimant count signalled that more people moved off Jobseekers Allowance than moved onto it.
Mrs Gillan said: “This is encouraging news, but we need to bear in mind that this is a single set of figures and there is still a long way to go. The task ahead of us is a great challenge, as the unemployment rate in Wales is still unacceptably high at 8.9% and there are still 130,000 people looking for work.
“This is the second month in a row in which more people are moving off Job Seekers allowance than went on to it which is welcome news. We need to ensure there are ample conditions for growth, in order to ensure that there are real opportunities for the people of Wales to show what they can do.
“I urge the Welsh Government to work with the UK Government, to help turn this single set of positive figures into a long-term upward trend. We know that we have the resources and the support available to make Wales a first class business destination, so it is up to all of us to work together to promote Welsh business opportunities and attract inward investment.”
**Notes for Editors: **
- The employment rate in Wales was 68.2%, an increase of 0.9% from the last quarter
- The unemployment rate was 8.9%, a fall on the last quarter of 0.1%, but is 0.5% higher than the same quarter of 2010
- The economic inactivity rate was 25.1%, a fall of 0.8% on the last quarter and a fall of 1.0% on the same quarter last year
- The Claimant count unemployment rate was 5.5% in December, unchanged from November 2011 and 0.5% higher when compared with last year.
- The Youth Claimant Count Unemployment level was 26,200, an increase of 3,000 on December 2010.
- The ILO (International Labour Organisation) unemployment is a count of those who are out of work and want a job, have actively sought work in the last 4 weeks and are available to start work in the nest two weeks; plus those who are out of work, have found a job and are waiting to start in the next 2 weeks.