Skills and Employment Survey: Work in Wales, 2006 to 2017

The Skills and Employment Survey 2017 is the seventh in a series of surveys of jobs in Britain, as reported by the workers who do them, stretching back over 30 years (the first took place in 1986).  This report provides Wales specific analysis of the results of the 2006, 2012 and 2017 surveys, set against figures for London and the South East and the Rest of Britain (these geographies and Wales are non-overlapping). 

Main findings

• Jobs in Wales are in some respects better than jobs elsewhere, including relationships with managers, involvement in organisational decision-making and high levels of task discretion. 
• However, the relative weakness of the Welsh economy remains apparent, with perceptions regarding the cost of job loss being higher in Wales than elsewhere. 
• Workers in Wales also now appear to exhibit the highest levels of stress in Britain in 2017, a clear shift in the position of workers in Wales compared to earlier years.  Levels of enthusiasm and contentment among workers in Wales have similarly declined. 
• However, the report findings with respect to organisational fairness, the helpfulness of managers and involvement in organisational decision making each resonate with previous evidence that suggests that the climate of employment relations is better in Wales.