Original by Owen Hughes, Daily Post - http://www.dailypost.co.uk/business/business-news/workers-north-wales-c…
There is a wide gulf in the average wages of workers in the six counties of North Wales
Average wage packets in a North Wales county are among the lowest in Britain.
The Office of National Statistics has released figures showing salaries in every UK county.
It shows that average wages in Gwynedd are the third lowest in the UK, at £421 a week - only workers in Rossendale and Burnley in Lancashire had smaller pay packets
Average wage packets in a North Wales county are among the lowest in Britain.
The Office of National Statistics has released figures showing salaries in every UK county.
It shows that average wages in Gwynedd are the third lowest in the UK, at £421 a week - only workers in Rossendale and Burnley in Lancashire had smaller pay packets
Flintshire has the highest average wage in North Wales at £536.
Aberconwy Conservative AM Janet Finch-Saunders called on the Welsh Government to do more to encourage economic growth and business confidence in north west Wales with the aim of increasing wages.
She said: "It is alarming that of all 22 local authority areas in Wales, on average people are least well off in Anglesey, Conwy, and Gwynedd.
This is what happened to house prices in your North Wales county over the past year
“This is a serious issue as it means that not only a county focused strategy is needed, but one for the whole of north west Wales.
"This is clear when considering that its average, £446, is significantly less than the north east Wales average of £509, and Wales average of £490.
“I believe in aspiration, and want to see hard work rewarded with fair pay. This cannot be achieved if some parts of the public sector in Wales continue to fail to pay at least the living wage, and whilst the Welsh Government continue to fail with its inadequate business rate relief support."
The median average across the UK is £550 a week, up 2.2% from £539 in 2016, with London the best-performing region with workers getting a median figure of £692.
Meanwhile the worst-paid workers by region are the East Midlands and Wales.
A Welsh Government spokesperson said: " Median gross weekly earnings for full-time adults working in Wales increased again between 2016 and 2017, and we know that a record number of people are now in work, with unemployment at historically low levels and below the UK average.
“Through interventions such as Jobs Growth Wales, ReAct and our rapid support for the steel industry, the Welsh Government has consistently supported individuals and communities across Wales through one of the worst global recessions of all time and the pain caused by UK Government austerity and welfare cuts.
“From our support for Wylfa Newydd, new jobs at Chetwood Financial, our new Development Bank headquarters in Wrexham, investment in a new Advanced Manufacturing and Research Institute in Deeside and our work to maximise the economic opportunities resulting from the Northern Powerhouse Region, the Welsh Government is working hard to develop highly skilled job opportunities across North Wales.
“We are committed to further driving up wages through a range of economic measures that will help attract further inward investors to Wales, implement better fair working practices and tackle lower productivity through enhancing skills, leadership and innovation across Wales.
"Later this year the Economy Secretary will be publishing his Economic Action Plan to respond to the key challenges that Wales is facing and we look forward to working with the business sector to refine and implement this.”
Provisional Average (median) gross weekly earnings by Welsh local areas in 2017 (£)
Gwynedd: £421
Conwy: £449
Powys: £460
Anglesey: £467
Ceredigion: £468
Wrexham: £494
Denbighshire: £498
Flintshire: £536