117 job losses at Mold's Jeyes factory
A hundred and seventeen jobs will be lost at Jeyes cleaning supplies factory in Mold, it's been announced.
Unemployment figures fall by 1,000
Unemployment in Wales has fallen by 1,000, in the first three months of the year.
113 Cardiff insurance jobs at risk
Zurich Insurance has confirmed 342 jobs are to go at five of its UK offices, including 113 in Cardiff.
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Welsh Secretary: 'UK and Welsh Governments must work together'
Secretary of State for Wales Cheryl Gillan has welcomed the latest employment statistics, but warned there is still "a long way to go" to improve challenging economic conditions.
– Secretary of State for Wales, Cheryl Gillan MPWales is not immune to the uncertainties caused by the eurozone and what is essentially a complex and challenging labour market at the moment.
The unemployment rate in Wales continues to be an indicator that we must strive to do better, to work together as two Governments to create the right conditions for growth so that Wales can attract the investment and prosperity it needs.
Unemployment falls in Wales by 2,000
Latest figures from the Office of National Statistics have revealed that Wales has seen the number of people out of work fall by 2,000 between February and April 2012. Unemployment was at 132,000, but with 17,000 more people out of work when compared with the same 3 month period last year.
– Chris Grayling, Employment MinisterAny fall in unemployment is very welcome but I remain cautious over the next few months given the continuing economic challenges we face.
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IoD respond to job figures
Responding to the latest labour market statistics, which showed a UK fall in unemployment of 45,000 over the three months to March but only a slight decline in Wales figures, Robert Lloyd Griffiths, director of the Institute of Directors in Wales, said:
– Robert Lloyd Griffiths, director of the Institute of Directors in WalesThe UK figures raise half a cheer for the economy but unemployment in Wales remains a real headache.
It’s good news that headline unemployment measures are down across the UK, but the Welsh unemployment figure remains static at 9%. That’s already considerably higher than the UK average and it’s a concern.
There’s also bad news in the average earnings figures. Average earnings growth including bonuses has collapsed from 1.3 per cent to just 0.1 per cent.
Excluding bonuses, average earnings growth stands at 2 per cent, which is way behind inflation.
Unemployment figures fall by 1,000
Unemployment in Wales has fallen by 1,000, in the first three months of the year.
Read the full storyUnemployment figures out
Official figures published in the last half an hour show unemployment fell by 45,000 between January and March to 2.63 million.
The number of people claiming jobseeker's allowance last month fell by 13,700 to 1.59 million, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Hopes for a Wylfa B - "We have the skills on Anglesey"
Gwilym O Jones is a Senior Production Technician at Wylfa power station and chairman of Anglesey County Council.
He has worked at the site since its opening in 1967, and says that the highly trained workforce that has been built up is keen for a replacement power station after the current one closes in 2014.
"We have the required skills" he says. "We've trained local lads, from Anglesey, from the Gwynedd and the surrounding area"
"They are trained and they are ready to do the work."
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Early shutdown for Wylfa reactor
One of the two reactors at the Wylfa nuclear power station on Anglesey has been shut down for good, it has been announced
Reactor 2 was deactivated last night following what owner Magnox Ltd described as 'an issue with the conventional [non-nuclear] plant'.
It had intended to shut the reactor on the 30th April, and decided to bring forward the closure as a result. The remaining reactor at the site will be kept in operation until 2014.
– Stuart Law, Wylfa Site DirectorToday was a significant milestone in Wylfa’s history. Although it is the end of anera, we must now focus our efforts on safe generation with Reactor 1
Funding to help workers at nuclear plants
£4 million is being spent on helping nuclear energy workers in North West Wales back into work.
The funding aims to help 1,200 staff at the Wylfa and Trawsfynydd sites prepare for future careers.
Wylfa, on Anglesey, is due to stop generating electricity in 2014. Trawsfynydd has already closed, and is in the process of being decommissione d.
The funding comes from the European Social Fund, the Welsh Government, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and local councils. Workers will be given career advice, mentoring, training and job-search help.
Hopes for a new power station at 'Wylfa B' were set back last month when two leading power companies withdrew their plans for the site.
113 Cardiff insurance jobs at risk
Zurich Insurance has confirmed 342 jobs are to go at five of its UK offices, including 113 in Cardiff.
Read the full storyPeacocks jobs fear for Valleys
Almost 150 jobs could be cut in the Valleys by the retailer Peacocks.
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