LONDON, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- The number of unemployed people in Britain fell by 7,000 to 2.59 million from May to July, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said on Wednesday.
Unemployment rate in the period was 8.1 percent, down by 0.1 percentage point from the previous three months.
The number of people in work increased by 236,000 to 29.56 million, the largest quarterly rise for two years. The ONS said the Olympic Games was likely a reason behind the jump in employment, as London accounted for 91,000 in the total increase.
Meanwhile, the number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance fell by 15,000 between July and August to 1.57 million, the ONS said.
However, the number of people out of work for over one year was 904,000, the highest since 1996.
About 1.42 million part-time job holders, the highest figure on record, would like to work in full time but are unable to find such employment.
The ONS data also showed young people (16 to 24 years old) out of work totaled 1.02 million from May to July, up by 7,000.
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