Workplace employment by industry: 2001 to 2017

Information on the aggregate of employees, the self employed and government supported trainees at a broad industrial level for 2017.

This report is based on statistics from three different sources that are already in the public domain, and provides estimates of workplace employment (or total jobs) in Wales. By also including detail over time, the report increases the information publicly available on jobs in Wales.

Main points

Using workplace employment as a measure to compare the industrial structure of Wales with that of the UK shows:

employment in Wales was proportionately higher in the public administration, defence, education and health sector (which is not the same as the public sector); the production sector; and the agriculture, forestry and fishing sector
employment in Wales was proportionately lower in the wholesale, retail, transport, hotels & food sector; the finance and business activities sector; and the other industries sector.

Comparing workplace employment in Wales in 2017 with earlier years:

in 2017 workplace employment in Wales was 1.42 million; this is the highest level since the series began
between 2016 and 2017 total workplace employment in Wales increased by 11 thousand (0.8%); the corresponding UK figure increased by 1.6%.

There is substantial variation between industries at the local authority level in Wales.

Reports