Annual Population Survey: July 2018 to June 2019

Employment

• The employment rate for the population aged 16 to 64 in Wales was 73.2% compared with 75.5% in the UK.
• Since 2001, the employment rate increased by 6.1 percentage points in Wales and by 3.2 percentage points in the UK.
• The highest estimated employment rates were in Vale of Glamorgan (78.6%), Monmouthshire (78.0%) and Flintshire (77.0%). 
• The lowest estimated employment rates were in Ceredigion (66.8%), Swansea (68.3%) and Rhondda Cynon Taf (69.5%).

Unemployment

• The unemployment rate for the population aged 16 and over in Wales was 4.2%, compared with 4.0% in the UK.
• Since 2001, the unemployment rate fell by 1.2 percentage points in Wales and by 1.0 percentage points in the UK.
• The lowest estimated unemployment rates were in Denbighshire (2.3%), Monmouthshire (2.3%) and Powys (2.6%).
• The highest estimated unemployment rates were in Rhondda Cynon Taf (6.8%), Merthyr Tydfil (5.7%) and Caerphilly (5.6%).

Youth unemployment

• The youth unemployment rate in Wales was 12.6%, above the UK rate of 11.6%.
• Since 2001, the youth unemployment rate fell by 1.6 percentage points in Wales and by 0.2 percentage points in the UK.

Long term unemployment

• 27.2% of unemployed people in Wales had been unemployed for 12 months or more. This compares with 25.2% in the UK.

Economic inactivity

• The economic inactivity rate for the population aged 16 to 64 in Wales was 23.5% compared with 21.3% in the UK.
• Since 2001, the economic inactivity rate fell by 5.5 percentage points in Wales and by 2.6 percentage points in the UK.
• The lowest estimated economic inactivity rates were in Vale of Glamorgan (18.1%), Wrexham (20.0%) and Isle of Anglesey (20.0%).
• The highest estimated economic inactivity rates were in Ceredigion (31.0%), Swansea (28.0%) and Blaenau Gwent (26.1%).