Economic inactivity in Wales is nearly three percentage points higher (23.2pc) in Wales than the UK average (20.5), figures up – until April 2020 – released today by the Welsh Government indicate.
The employment rate was lower in Wales (74.4pc) for the same period compared to the UK rate (76.4pc). The UK rate was up 0.3 percentage points on the year; Wales’ was down 1.1 percentage for the same period.
Russell George MS – the Shadow Minister for Economy and Business – said:
“These figures make worrying reading – particularly as they are up until only April this year, just a month into the lockdown. There is a very clear reason why the impact of Covid has hit our economy harder than any other part of the UK: it’s called the Welsh Labour Government.
“It was making poor decisions before the true impact of the pandemic and lockdown were being felt, causing further damage to the damaging the Welsh economy when it should have been taking action to save lives as well as livelihoods, not dithering.
“It’s imperative that the First Minister announces the safe and sensible lifting of the lockdown of restrictions on Friday to reopen the Welsh economy, because while Covid is a health crisis, it’s also an economic crisis.”
Source data can be found here.
