Unemployment in Wales rose by 16,000 between June and August of this year, according to new figures.
The number of people in Wales out of work is now 131,000 with the unemployment rate at 9%. The UK average is 8.1%.
Those claiming Jobseekers’ Allowance rose by 800 during September alone bring the total level up to 78,300.
Nationally across the UK, unemployment rose by 114,000 between June and August to 2.57 million – a 17-year high.
The number of people in the UK out of work and claiming benefits rose 17,500 to 1.6 million in September.
UK Employment Secretary Chris Grayling said: “It is clear that we are seeing the effect of the international economic crisis on the UK labour market.”
| Level | Change on latest period | Change on year | |
| Employment (Jun-Aug) | 1,318,000 | -26,000 | -9,000 |
| Unemployment (Jun-Aug) | 131,000 | +13,000 | +16,000 |
| Claimant Count (September) | 78,300 | +800 | +6,500 |
No surprise here, and it will probably get worse. The headline figures only tell part of the story, there are many more job losses in the pipeline and thousands who, though in poverty, do not count toward the jobless total. I would like to see figures on those claiming working tax credit, for instance. Any who do claim this lifeline are on less than £13,400 per year but are not considered jobless.