Employment in Wales increased by 3,000 in the three months from October to December 2014, according to the latest figures from the Office of National Statistics.

Paradoxically, the number of people listed as unemployed in Wales increased by 2,000 during the same period.

The number of individuals claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance fell by 2,100 in January – the 23rd consecutive monthly fall.

The figures also showed that since 2010, there are 41,000 more people in work in Wales and 26,500 fewer people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance.

However, the quarterly increase in the number of people in work still showed a marked decline from 12 months previously when there were an additional 24,000 people listed as employed in Wales by the ONS with the number of those in work falling from 1,402,000 during the period October to December 2013 to 1,378,000 in the same three-month period in 2014.

The total number of people said to be "economically active" meanwhile fell by 31,000 from 1,508,000 in 2013 to 1,477,000 in the final quarter of 2014.

Secretary of State for Wales Stephen Crabb said: “It’s clear from these latest figures that we need to keep working hard to see the positive long term trend in employment continue.

“We’ve always said that the road to recovery is not straightforward and there are still challenges in securing long-term growth across all parts of the country.”

However, Plaid Cymru's economy spokesman Rhun ap Iorwerth said: “It is deeply concerning that Wales has lost 24,000 jobs over 2014 while the rest of the UK has rebuilt its employment market.

"While the Scottish Government is working tirelessly for the people of Scotland, creating almost 65,000 new jobs over the past year, keeping their unemployment rate below the UK average, the Labour Welsh Government has dragged its feet and allowed Wales to slip behind once again.

“We desperately need a government that works for Wales. A Plaid Cymru government would cut business rates for more than 83,000 businesses and create 50,000 private sector jobs through strengthening supply chains between the public and private sector. We would also increase the National Minimum Wage to the living wage over the next Parliament and give 250,000 Welsh workers a pay rise.”