Welsh Labour Government “traps” population as workless household rate stagnates
New data has shown that 17.5% of households in Wales had no adults in employment in 2017, 2.8% more than the UK as a whole – a wider gap than the previous year.
Though Wales did improve slightly on its 17.8% average in 2016, the gap between it and the UK’s rate increased from 2.5%.
The statistics also revealed one in eight children lived in workless homes in Wales, worse than the UK rate.
Neath Port Talbot and Blaenau Gwent both had the largest proportion of their homes out of work – nearly in one four. There were six councils which had a fifth of households in their area out of work.
Monmouthshire had the fewest of its households out of work (11.7%) while five other councils also had a better rate than the British average. The Conservatives are part of the ruling administration for four of those six councils.
Merthyr Tydfil and Bridgend had the largest fraction of children in homes with no employed adults (19.8% and 19%, respectively) while the Vale of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire – both lead solely by Conservatives – had the lowest volume (5.5% and 6.5%, respectively).
Welsh Conservative and Shadow Economy Secretary, Russell George AM, said:
“Through an absence of ambition and lack of drive to fundamentally re-shape the economy in a more prosperous way, the Welsh Labour Government have trapped the population in a cycle where they can’t escape worklessness.
“This can be changed through attracting younger people to Wales to reduce the proportion of households that are retired or are comprised alone of students by fostering industries reliant on skilled employees. This will create a better paid and more productive economy.
“However, after twenty years of Welsh Labour Government, we have the lowest average wages, weakest education system, and worst productivity rate of the UK nations. As a result, a generation of Welsh people are paying the price.”
