Unemployment rise worst in Wales

Unemployment in Wales had fallen during summer, before rising again

Unemployment in Wales has risen sharply in the three months between July and September, latest figures indicate.

The Welsh jobless total increased by 14,000, nearly half the increase for the UK as a whole, to 125,000.

It was the second consecutive three month period when Wales lost more jobs than any other UK nation or region.

The Welsh Assembly Government said the quarterly rise was "disappointing" but a spokesperson said it did not reflect the trend over the year.

The Labour Force Survey data compiled by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed UK unemployment rose 30,000, the smallest rise since May 2008, to 2.46 million.

We are at increasing risk of losing a generation to unemployment, poor health and resulting social problems Jenny Randerson AM, Liberal Democrat

In Wales, it means 8.7% of the workforce are out of a job, compared to 7.8% across the UK.

Figures published last month showed the loss of 24,000 jobs in the three months to August.

For two months in the summer Wales bucked the trend as the only part of the UK to record falling unemployment.

Conservative economy spokesman David Melding AM said: "These figures demonstrate that the short-termism of the Assembly Government's approach has failed to reverse this damaging rise in unemployment.

"We need answers as to why, despite a small fall in unemployment over the summer, we are witnessing a surge in job losses in Wales far greater than other parts of the United Kingdom."

JOBLESS TOTALS AND CHANGES North east 119,000, -2,000 North west 294,000, +4,000 Yorkshire/Humber 227,000 -4,000 East Midlands 173,000, +5,000 West Midlands 270,000, -14,000 East 194,000, no change London 367,000, + 8,000 South east 265,000, +4,000 South west 176,000, +5,000 Wales 125,000, +14,000 Scotland 194,000, +4,000 N Ireland 58,000, +4,000 Source: Office for National Statistics. Unemployment in nations and regions between July and September

Liberal Democrat economic spokesperson Jenny Randerson said she was particularly concerned by data showing a "trend of harsh and nasty unemployment among young people".

"We are at increasing risk of losing a generation to unemployment, poor health and resulting social problems," she said.

"These are problems which will continue long after the recession comes to an end, and the (assembly) government's cuts to the FE (Further Education) and HE (Higher Education) budgets will make this situation worse."

'Encouraging'

An assembly government spokesperson said the quarterly rise was "disappointing".

"This does not however reflect the position over the year (a comparison recommended by the ONS to remove some of the volatility in quarterly figures)," said the spokesperson.

"In addition, the level of International Labour Organisation (ILO) unemployment does not take into account any changes in economic inactivity - a historically important indicator for the Welsh economy."

The spokesperson added that the employment rate for Wales over the year, taking into account unemployment and economic inactivity, showed one of the lowest falls when compared to the rest of the UK - with Wales outperforming London, the South East, Scotland and Northern Ireland.