WELSH PRIVATE SECTOR JOB LOSSES ARE ACCELERATING

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 19th Jun 2008

Commenting on today's Royal Bank of Scotland's Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) report for Wales showing that job losses in the Welsh private sector are accelerating, Jenny Willott, Lib Dem shadow Work and Pensions Secretary and MP for Cardiff Central, said:

"These figures are extremely worrying. It looks like the Welsh economy has not only started losing more jobs than it is generating, but that the rate of job losses is accelerating.

"In September last year, the Welsh job market was expanding. But in the last month, job losses have rapidly increased. Welsh companies are swimming against the tide with rapidly rising costs and declining levels of outstanding business.

"It seems that, contrary to Rhodri Morgan's recent claims, the Welsh economy is struggling more than any other part of the UK bar the East Midlands.

"The Assembly and Westminster Governments cannot afford to ignore these on the ground reports and need to act swiftly to inject new life into the Welsh private sector so that these job loss trends can be reversed."