The First Minister has responded to the latest labour market statistics – which shows employment in Wales is at its highest rate on record.
This was published under the 2016 to 2021 administration of the Welsh Government
First Minister Carwyn Jones said:
“Employment in Wales today stands at its highest rate on record, while over the past year the number of people unemployed in Wales has fallen by 30,000 to its lowest level since 2006.
“Wales is outperforming all other parts of the UK with the sharpest declining rate of unemployment over the past 12 months. At 4.6%, the unemployment rate in Wales is lower than the UK average for the fourth consecutive month and that fall has been recorded at a rate almost three times faster than the UK as a whole.
“We are ahead of Scotland, England and Northern Ireland with the fastest growing rate of employment over the last 12 months. Economic inactivity in Wales has also declined over the past year and quarter.
“As a pro-business government, we have been working hard to create the right economic conditions to help create and safeguard jobs right across Wales and our policies are continuing to reap the rewards.”