THERE are more than 30,000 'ghost workers' in Wiltshire according to a new survey published this week.

The TUC's Inactive Britain report claims 9.6 per cent of people of working age in the county are out of a job, despite the Government's official unemployment statistics putting the figure at 3.5 per cent.

The report says there are 30,624 people in the county who want a job but are not in work.

The workers are aged between 16 and 64 and are not in work, actively seeking work or classed as unemployed.

About 60 per cent of the 'ghost workers' are women, most of whom would like to work but cannot because of family and care responsibilities.

Of the men identified by the survey, more than half are not working because of chronic sickness or disability.

Nigel Costley, regional secretary of the South West TUC, said: "This is not a plea for the unemployed it's an economic imperative for the region.

"With skill shortages and recruitment difficulties holding some firms back, we need to help everyone who wants to work."

Mr Costley said there are many ways employers can help with the problem, ranging from allowing staff to work flexible shifts to suit their family responsibilities and providing child care to ensuring their premises and working practices are suitable for disabled people.

The figures in the report compare unfavourably with the rest of Europe, with the UK having one of the highest levels of inactivity among working people in Europe.

About 22 per cent of the eight million 'ghost workers' in the UK want a job, compared with the European average of just under 10 per cent.

The report states the Government has achieved record levels of employment but blames economic and labour policies of the 1980s and 1990s for the current situation.

The TUC is calling for a Government strategy that sets realistic targets to get these workers into employment.