Mid Glamorgan was abolished as an administrative area in 1996, and is now a "preserved county of Wales". It includes Merthyr Tydfil, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Bridgend and an area of Caerphilly. Recruitment agencies in these areas help people find jobs over a wide area.
An office opened recently by the Welsh Assembly in Merthyr Tydfil provided a number of new public sector jobs in the area. Merthyr Tydfil's also the location of a major contact centre operated by the mobile phone network T-Mobile.
Jobs have also been created by the construction of the Dragon International Film Studios in the Rhondda Cynon Taf area. The project is located on the site of an open cast mine, around five miles from the town of Bridgend, and includes TV studios, editing suites and film studios.
More jobs could be created at Dragon Studios if plans for a number of developments on the site go ahead. The proposals include a hospital and golf course, as well as a business park.
In addition, developers want to construct a theme park and a drama village alongside a hotel. Proposals have also been made for a new junction on the M4 to provide access to the site.
