Welsh Secretary: Latest employment figures show “clear signs of growth within Wales"
The latest figures for employment in Wales published today (15 May) shows that the Welsh economy is growing, but now is no time for complacency, said Welsh Secretary David Jones.
The latest figures published by the Office for National Statistics show that unemployment in Wales has fallen by 6,000 and the unemployment rate by 0.5 per cent. This is the largest joint fall across any region in the UK. This is coupled with an increase of 16,000 in employment and a reduction in economic inactivity of 14,000.
Mr Jones said:
These figures are very good for Wales. They demonstrate that the there are clear signs of growth within Wales. But we would be foolhardy to suggest that the hard work is over.
I know from talking to businesses across Wales that they are increasingly optimistic about the future and I think this is shown in today’s rise of 16,000 more people in employment.
Wales is in a global race and it is one in which we cannot afford to be spectators. I am confident that measures being put in place by the UK Government, such as the National Insurance Contributions Bill, will further benefit Welsh companies by creating a more favourable economic climate in which they can do business.