Flintshire only north Wales area to see unemployment claimant count rise
Flintshire is the only council area in north Wales where the number of people claiming unemployment-related benefits has risen over the past year, new figures show.
Data published today by the Office for National Statistics shows 2,750 people in Flintshire were claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance or Universal Credit principally for the reason of being unemployed in February 2026, a rate of 2.9% of the working-age population.
That is 25 more than a year earlier, at a rate of 2.9% of the working-age population.
Across the UK, the claimant count fell by 33,470 over the same period to 1,717,150, a rate of 3.9%.
Wales fell by 770 to 65,985, a rate of 3.4%.
Flintshire’s 2.9% rate is below both the Wales and UK averages, but it is moving in the opposite direction to both.
Every other north Wales council area saw its claimant count fall over the year.
Wrexham fell by 30, Denbighshire by 160, Conwy by 110, Gwynedd by 60 and the Isle of Anglesey by 45.
The rise in Flintshire is driven by women.
The number of women claiming in Flintshire rose by 30 over the year to 1,255.
The number of men claiming fell by five to 1,490.
Across Wales, the women’s claimant count fell by 665 over the same period.
Across the UK, it fell by 28,035.
The figures come from the ONS Claimant Count, which measures people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance and Universal Credit claimants required to search for work.
This is a different measure from the unemployment rate, which is based on survey data and covers a broader definition of people without work.
The Welsh Government said the unemployment rate for people aged 16 and over in Wales was 4.5%, compared with the UK rate of 4.2%, based on the Annual Population Survey.
It said: “We have rolled our sleeves up to deliver for businesses, communities, and thousands of workers across Wales as we build a stronger, fairer, and greener economy, supporting more than 50,000 jobs this Senedd term through business programmes.”
The Welsh Government said it was using Annual Population Survey data rather than the Labour Force Survey because of concerns about the reliability of Labour Force Survey figures, adding that the Office for National Statistics itself advises caution when using those statistics as the only measure of the labour market in Wales.
The ONS data also covers the new Fflint Wrecsam Senedd constituency, which spans Flintshire and Wrexham and returns six members to the Senedd from May 2026.
The claimant count for Fflint Wrecsam stood at 3,730 in February 2026, a rate of 3.0%, up 40 on the year.
Jack Sargeant MS, who represents Alyn and Deeside, was asked to respond to the figures.
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