Official statistics say Wales is doing better than the UK for jobs

A study commissioned by Plaid Cymru and carried out by Sheffield Hallam University suggests that, while 4,600 people Conwy, Gwynedd and Anglesey were counted as unemployed there last year, more than 11,000 were out of work.

This could be because official figures do not count people excluded from claiming Job Seekers Allowance, nor those on government job creation schemes.

The study was commissioned by Plaid Cymru MEP Eurig Wyn and carried out by Sheffield Hallam University and a research company based in Bangor. It concluded that the area's economy was a long way from full employment.

The report contrasts one official unemployment figures with what it calls "real unemployed".

In July 2003, just over 4,600 people were claiming benefits in Conwy, Gwynedd and Anglesey.

The survey's authors put that closer to 16,000. That was because they took into account people who had retired early because they could not find a job.

Different picture

They also counted people living on benefits because of illness.

The report suggested some of the UK Government's data painted an unjustifiably favourable picture.

The government has pointed out that the UK's unemployment rate is lower than most other countries.

It also said unemployment problems Wales were not being ignored.

Back In November official figures revealed that employment was gaining pace faster in Wales than the UK average.

During the three months to September, the Welsh employment rate increased by 2.9% on a year earlier, with an extra 61,000 people entering the jobs market.

'Lower than UK'

The labour force survey from National Statistics showed that the UK average rise was just 0.3%.

But Wales' employment rate - at 73% - still trailed slightly behind the UK's average figure of 74.6%.

Wales also had a lower unemployment rate than the UK average: it was down 0.6% on a year earlier to 4.7%, compared to 5% and a fall of 0.3%.

Andrew Davies, Economic Development and Transport Minister in the Welsh Assembly Government, said the figures showed the Welsh economy was still on track for long-term sustainable growth.

"Our unemployment rate remains below that of the UK as a whole and we have had the biggest fall in the inactivity rate over the last year out of all the UK regions," he said.