Key economic statistics, March 2013 headline results

The release includes the latest information from a range of sources and covers a variety of time periods. This release updates the statistics previously released on 20 February 2013.

The Labour Force Survey estimates for the 3 months to January 2013 show:

• the employment rate for those aged 16-64 in Wales was 69.0 per cent, up 0.5 percentage points from the same period a year earlier. The UK average was 71.5 per cent, up 1.1 percentage points from the same period a year earlier
• the unemployment rate in Wales was 8.4 per cent of the economically active, down 0.5 percentage points from the same period a year earlier.  For the UK as a whole it was 7.8 per cent, down 0.5 percentage points from the same period a year earlier
• the economic inactivity rate for those aged 16-64 in Wales was 24.6 per cent, unchanged from the same period a year earlier. The UK average was 22.3 per cent, down 0.8 percentage points from the same period a year earlier

The claimant count rate in February 2013 for Wales was 5.4 per cent of the workforce, down 0.1 percentage points on February 2012 (UK rate 4.7 per cent, down 0.2 percentage points over the year).

The key economic statistics bulletin will be published on Friday 22 March.

Further information

StatsWales website (external link)

Office for National Statistics website: Labour Market statistics regional monthly data (external link)

Contact

Tel: 029 2082 5017
Email: economic.stats@wales.gsi.gov.uk

Next update

17 April 2013