Compare and contrast these headlines:

‘Wales suffers most as unemployment rises’ (Walesonline) with ‘Jobless numbers show smallest rise since spring 2008′ (Guardian) and even ‘UK jobless total shows signs of stabilising” (FT).   

These different takes on the latest stats make it extremely important that the seriousness of worklessness in Wales is driven home hard to the UK government. Now is not the time ease off  action – in fact more than ever there is a case for upping investment in job-creating public spending plans in Wales, boosting FE places, and an imaginative volunteering / job placement programme.  

But when Wales’s position is different to the rest of the UK’s is also a chance to be creative and radical.  Let’s look on unemployment people as a resource.  There is a huge pool of skills, talent, experience and willingness to work out there (but I bet no one has done a skills audit of the unemployed).  They could be used to transform the economy and society – to help small businesses, to make homes energy efficient, to help voluntary and community groups, to transform public spaces, etc.  I don’t know what would it cost to guarantee everyone a job after 6 months on the dole – but WAG should be thinking about this and developing action.

Wait for something to emerge from the Department for Work and Pensions and we could wait forever – because it is clear that unemployment could slide down the UK agenda.