WALES was the only part of the United Kingdom in which the employment rate among 16-64 year-olds fell during December 2017-February 2018, compared to the same quarter the previous year.

The latest labour market statistics released by the Office for National Statistics show that UK-wide, the 16-64 employment rate for December 2017-February 2018 was 75.4 per cent, up 0.8 percentage points (from 74.6 per cent) for that quarter the previous year, and the highest since records began.

But the rate in Wales for the same quarter was 73 per cent, 0.1 percentage points down on the previous year.

England and Northern Ireland experienced increases of 0.8 percentage points year-on-year, and Scotland 1.6 percentage points.

Unemployment among 16-64 year-olds however, was recorded as having fallen 0.3 percentage points in Wales during November 2017-February 2018, compared to the same quarter a year before. This was slightly below the UK decrease (0.4 percentage points).

Wales was also one of only three parts of the UK to record a decrease in the proportion of 16-64 year-olds deemed to be economically active in the December 2017-February 2018 period, compared to the same quarter a year earlier.

The rate for the latest quarter was 76.6 per cent, 0.3 percentage points down. The other areas to record a decrease were Northern Ireland and the north west of England.

The proportion of those deemed economically inactive - a category including students, the long-term sick, unpaid carers and early retirees - rose in Wales by 0.3 percentage points.

Employment and economic activity for 16-64 year-olds rose in Wales however, during December 2017-February 2018 compared to the previous quarter (September-November 2017).