UK unemployment dipped during the last quarter

The number of jobless people in the UK fell by 51,000 in the last three months to 2.61 million.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the better figures reflected a decrease – 99,000 – in the number of people out of a job for up to six months.

The ONS said the unemployment level in the UK overall was "showing some improvement", but it reported that the year-on-year the total jobless figure had risen by 185,000 to reach 2.61 million.

The number of longer-term unemployed – more than six months – rose by 49,000 to 1.49 million.

The figure for youngsters out work dipped by 29,000 for the quarter, but still stands at more than a million.

Other key ONS data showed that private sector employment rose by 205,000 to 23.4 million, and public sector jobs dipped by 39,000 to 5.9 million.

Part-time worker numbers rose by 83,000 to reach 7.97 million, while full-timers grew by 82,000 to 21.32 million.

The number of self-employed people rose by 84,000 over the quarter to 4.17 million, the highest figure in this category since comparable records began in 1992.

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