The latest labour market statistics for Wales, covering September 2025, revealed that Wales’ unemployment rate has risen again to 5.7%, levels not seen since 2015 and a considerable rise on last month’s 4.9%.
Wales’ employment figures have also fallen and Wales continues to have the highest economic inactivity rate in Great Britain.
The Welsh Conservatives have criticised “anti-business” policies from Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru, as well as the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Commenting, Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Energy, Samuel Kurtz MS said:
“Unemployment is at crisis levels in Wales after 26 years of anti-business Labour, propped up by Plaid and compounded by Rachel Reeves’ economic mismanagement.
“Unemployment levels didn’t even hit these heights during the pandemic.
“The Welsh Conservatives want to see Wales open for business, with pro-growth measures implemented like the abolition of Welsh Stamp Duty, a cut to income tax and business rates cut to help our struggling high streets and to fix Wales.”
