Latest labour market figures published today by the Office of National Statistics show that total employment in Wales has reached a record high at 1, 367,000.
The figure means that the number of people employed in Wales has grown by 155, 000 since the start of the Assembly.
During the quarter from April to June, Wales bucked the UK wide trend. Welsh employment rates rose and unemployment rates fell when compared with the previous quarter. The comparable figures for the UK as a whole showed the opposite quarterly trend..
Detailed statistics for the quarter show that employment in Wales was up by 10,000 over the previous year and up 17,000 over the previous quarter.The employment rate amongst the working age population was 72.6 per cent - the highest rate for four years.
This is still behind the UK rate of 74.8 per cent but well ahead of the rate of 68- 69 per cent experienced throughout most of the Nineties and the early years of this decade. The unemployment rate fell slightly during the quarter to 4.9 per cent - compared with the UK rate of 5.4 per cent.
Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones said:
The latest official data is very encouraging and demonstrates that the Welsh economy overall is still highly competitive and is still creating jobs despite all the pressures of the credit crunch, high energy prices and global economic turbulence.
The Assembly Government's new, integrated Flexible Support for Business model designed to deliver more streamlined and effective assistance to new and growing enterprises will further reinforce our ability to create jobs and prosperity for all parts of Wales.
