Wales' unemployment figures rise by 3,000 people

Unemployment in Wales rose by 3,000 in the three months to February, to 123,000, according to latest figures.

The rate stands at 4.8% which compares with an unemployment rate of 4.9% for the UK.

The data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) also shows the number unemployed was 18,000 higher than the same time a year ago.

But employment was 12,000 higher than the three months to November and 5,000 higher than the same period a year ago.

'It's hard to find something when everywhere is shut'

Josie Baber says it has been "dehumanising" being rejected by "robots"

Josie Baber from Bridgend has a college qualification in bakery but said work in the hospitality industry was "sparse".

She has autism, which she said was more of a barrier during Covid as she is unable to drive and relies on buses.

"It's hard to find something that's in your field, that's in your batting area when everything is shut," she said.

"I can't travel very far due to not driving and I can't learn to drive due to my disabilities and find it difficult to find one local to home so I can't really do what I love when I can't go anywhere.

"I go everywhere via bus which is hard enough and an hour on the bus to get to a six-hour job isn't really worth it."

She said it had been "very stressful" during applications and felt "very dehumanised when you just get a robot saying you haven't got the job".

"I know that loads of people have lost their jobs thanks to the pandemic and it's difficult because you're 21, you're applying for jobs you want to get but there's maybe someone who's 45, has a lot more experience than you do and it's just difficult then for you to get the job," she said.

"I'm trying to keep a positive outlook on it and I'm feeling that it might be going my way this time hopefully."

Analysis by Sarah Dickins, BBC Wales economics correspondent

The world of work is not black and white, employed and unemployed.

Many people who are not working are not looking for jobs because they are not available for work for a variety of reasons.

It appears in the past few months there has been a flow of people who are now able to look for work again and have moved from being counted as economically inactive to unemployed.

That explains how Wales has seen both employment and unemployment rise since the autumn.

The labour market is still highly protected by the UK government's Job Retention Scheme. At the end of February there were still 175,000 people furloughed in Wales, lower than in the summer, but it is clearly still having a significant impact on households in Wales and protecting people from unemployment.

The hospitality industry has the highest proportion of furloughed workers and it is still largely closed down.

What will be significant for jobs in Wales is how many of those reopen with the same level of staffing as previously and what will happen when furlough ends.