More than 30,000 'ghost workers' in Wiltshire do not show up in unemployment figures but want to go to work, according to a new survey.

The Government's official unemployment statistics claim 3.5 per cent of people of working age in the region are out of a job and looking for work.

But the TUC's Inactive Britain report, published in Tuesday, shows the true figure is almost three times as high, standing at 9.6 per cent.

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."

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

These ghost workers are aged between 16 and 64, and around 60 per cent of them are women, most of whom would like to work but cannot because of family and care responsibilities.

Among the male ghost workers, more than half were not working because of chronic sickness or disability.

"There are many ways employers can help with this, ranging from allowing staff to work flexible shifts to suit their family responsibilities and providing child care," said Mr Costley.

Now the TUC is calling for an Activity Strategy to be central to the Government's Spending Review.