Welsh women lead the way as employment hits near-record high

15 Jul 2015 09:37 AM

Employment in Wales has hit near record levels with a surge in the number of women in work.

The trend has emerged from the last Labour Market statistics for Wales covering March to May 2015. The figures, published this morning (Wed July 15), show:

• item 1 A record number of women in work in Wales with employment levels increasing by 18,000 in the last quarter
• item 2 Employment at a near record level in Wales - increasing by 36,000 over the last year and by 19,000 in the last quarter alone
• item 3 Wales had the largest increase in the employment rate of any UK nation or region over both the year and the quarter
• item 4 Economic inactivity in Wales fell more than any of the UK nations or regions - down by 26,000 over the quarter and 34,000 over the year
• item 5 The youth Jobseeker’s Allowance claimant count fell by 500 in June and by 4,400 over the yearStephen Crabb, Secretary of State for Wales, said:

“Just a day after the Prime Minister pledged to close the pay gap between men and women, it is great to see Welsh women leading the return to the workplace.

“Near-record numbers of people are now in work in Wales with the increase in our employment rate outperforming London, Scotland and the South East. As the recovery spreads across Wales, we are breaking the cycles of dependency and ensuring that work pays,

“Wales has seen the largest decrease in economic inactivity anywhere in the UK as people move from dependency into looking for work. The increase in the unemployment rate reflects the fact that more people are now taking their first step back into the workplace by actively job hunting.”