Weekly wage in Wales is £46.30 behind UK average

Welsh adults in full-time work earn on average £46.30 less a week than the UK average, according to a report published by the Welsh Government.

As of April, adults in Wales earned an average gross weekly income of £492.40 compared to the UK average of £538.70, marking an 8.6% lag.

On this measure, Wales now ranks the second lowest among the 12 areas in the report denoting UK nations and English regions.

Weekly earnings for adults in full-time work in Wales increased by 2.9 per cent between 2015 and 2016.

The gender pay gap on a median hourly full-time basis increased slightly – by 0.1% – between 2015 and 2016 in Wales and decreased by 0.2% in the UK.

Commenting on the report, Welsh Conservative Shadow Secretary for Economy Russell George AM said:

“The Labour-led Welsh Government have levers at their disposal to get the Welsh economy moving.

“Not only do they need to do more to support Wales’ many small and medium sized enterprises, they need to attract more high-skilled and high-paid roles to the country.

“This can be achieved through reforming business rates and taking greater efforts to attract foreign investors with long-term commitments to Wales.

“The steady rise in weekly earnings is to be welcomed and is a clear indicator that the UK Government’s efforts to introduce a National Living Wage, and in lifting millions of people out of income tax, are having a clear benefit on the Welsh economy.

“The Welsh Government must take a much more constructive approach to working with the UK Government to ensure that Wales can develop an economy that is competitive and works for everyone.”