More than one in 20 workers and jobseekers in Ceredigion have no qualifications whatsoever, new figures show.

The Resolution Foundation think tank said good qualifications are "an important driver of employability and pay growth" and called on policy makers to boost and broaden people's skill sets.

The latest census figures from the Office for National Statistics show 31,960 people were eligible to work in Ceredigion in 2021.

Of them, 2,465 (7.7 per cent) had no qualifications whatsoever.

Meanwhile, 7 per cent had at least one GCSE or equivalent qualification, 14.2 per cent had five or more GCSEs at A* to C to levels nine to four, 22.2 per cent had two A-levels or equivalent, and 42.5 per cent had a degree or higher education qualification.

Combining all these figures into a composite score means the Ceredigion workforce ranks fourth in Wales and 90th across England and Wales.

The figures show regional disparity, with some local areas lagging well behind others.

Boston has the worst qualified workforce in England and Wales, where 19 per cent of workers and jobseekers have no qualifications.

In contrast, just 3.7 per cent of City of London work-eligible people have no qualifications, the highest in the country.

Hannah Slaughter, senior economist at the Resolution Foundation, said: "Qualifications and training are an important driver of employability and pay growth. The stark qualifications divide uncovered by the census will have worsened already damaging pay and income gaps between places across Britain.

"Policy makers and firms need to do far more both boost and broaden people’s skills and qualifications. This investment will raise incomes, boost growth and help to 'level up' the country."

The types of jobs people worked also tracked closely with qualification differences.

Further census figures show 5,368 (17.8 per cent) of 30,119 workers in Ceredigion were in professional occupations.

Across England and Wales, 5.6 million people (22.2 per cent) worked in a professional occupation.