Unemployment falls to 2.58 million The jobless total fell by 65,000 to 2.58 million in the quarter to May, the lowest for almost a year, while the number of people in employment increased by 181,000 to just under 30 million, the highest for almost four years. But the numbers claiming jobseeker's allowance jumped by 6,100 last month to 1.6 million, including an increase of 8,000 among women to 530,700, the highest figure for 17 years. The Office for National Statistics said the increase among women was likely to have been affected by a change in eligibility rules for lone parent income support from May. Long-term unemployment has also increased, with those out of work for more than two years up by 18,000 to 441,000, the worst figure since 1997. The number jobless for more than a year rose by 3,000 to 885,000, while there were just over a million unemployed 16 to 24-year-olds, down 10,000 on the three months to February. Most age groups showed increases in employment, with a rise of 52,000 in over-65s in work to reach 929,000, the highest since records began in 1992. The unemployment rate is now 8.1%, down by 0.2 percentage points, although the jobless total is 132,000 higher than a year ago. Other figures showed that those classed as economically inactive, including people looking after a relative, on early retirement or who have given up looking for work, fell by 61,000 to 9.2 million, mainly due to a cut of 82,000 among students. The biggest falls in unemployment, and increase in work, was in London, suggesting that the Olympic Games is having an impact on the figures. The number of vacancies increased by 10,000 in the quarter to June to 471,000. Average earnings increased by 1.5% in the year to May, up by 0.1 percentage points on the previous month, giving an average weekly wage of £468. Employment Minister Chris Grayling today visited a new delivery office opened in London by TNT, which said it planned to create 20,000 new jobs across the UK in the next five years. Around 70 new posts have been created at the new office as part of a pilot scheme delivering post to households and businesses in west London. Mr Grayling said: "This is an encouraging set of figures in what is still an incredibly difficult economic climate. Not only is unemployment falling but in overall terms there are now almost 100,000 less people on benefits since the 2010 election. We still have a long way to go but this is a step in the right direction. The Government said the increase in the claimant count figure was influenced by policy changes, noting that from May lone parents claiming income support who are able to work have been required to move to jobseeker's allowance when their child is five. Previously this happened when their child was seven. Officials said there may also be a small impact from the reassessment of incapacity benefit (IB) claimants. Since April last year, 1.5 million IB claimants have been reassessed to see whether they are fit to work or entitled to Employment Support Allowance. Those found fit to work move from IB on to jobseeker's allowance. Unite said the long-term jobless totals showed the fate awaiting disabled workers at Remploy factories set to close. General secretary Len McCluskey said: "Today's figures for the long-term unemployed show the fate that awaits Remploy workers as they struggle to find work once the Remploy factories are closed by this Government. It is madness for the Work and Pensions Secretary, Iain Duncan Smith, to think that there is work readily available for those disabled workers he is throwing on to the dole queue because of his cruel policies. The number of long-term unemployed is a scandal. This situation is only going to be made worse by the 1,700 Remploy workers being made redundant by the end of the year in the first tranche of factory closures. John Walker, chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: "While it is good news that the number of people out of work is falling, we need to tackle long-term unemployment, especially among women and young people. Research shows that the longer someone is out of employment, the harder it is for them to get back into the jobs market. We know that small companies are more likely to employ people that have been out of work for a significant time. However, small firms are being squeezed by rising overheads, they lack confidence to take on new staff and are still struggling to get credit from the banks to grow. Without clear, positive improvements in these areas, small businesses will not be able to buck this worsening trend. Unison general secretary Dave Prentis said: "Sadly the unemployed cannot and the Government should not take comfort from these figures. The Olympic effect may give the impression of a recovery, but it is a mirage. The number of long-term unemployed is still rising, and huge numbers of women and young people are still struggling to find work. Under the coalition's no-hope economic plan, hundreds of thousands more public sector jobs are due to be axed. There is no demand in our economy to fuel growth - consumer confidence is low, and people do not have enough cash to spend in their local shops and businesses. The Government has to take evasive action. We need an alternative plan for sustainable jobs and economic growth, to put the country back on the road to recovery. Paul Kenny, GMB general secretary, said: "These figures demonstrate that Britain's economy is caught in the mire of a double-dip recession with dire consequences for millions of unemployed workers across the land. The Government announcement guaranteeing £40 billion-worth of infrastructure projects is a half-hearted and belated recognition that it made the wrong economic decision when they came into office. Paul Brown, director of youth charity the Prince's Trust, said: "There are now more long-term unemployed young people in the UK than ever before, with hundreds of thousands feeling they will spend their lives on the scrapheap. We need to focus on supporting the most vulnerable young people, who are being pushed to the back of the dole queue. If we invest in young people now, we can save the state billions in benefits and lost productivity. Unemployment in the regions between March to May was: The figures read as follows: region; total unemployed; change on quarter; unemployment rate North East 140,000 minus 4,000 10.9% North West 331,000 plus 6,000 9.5% Yorkshire/Humber 262,000 plus 13,000 9.7% East Midlands 193,000 plus 3,000 8.3% West Midlands 223,000 minus 18,000 8.4% South East 288,000 plus 2,000 6.4% South West 164,000 minus 5,000 6.1% Wales 132,000 minus 2,000 9.0% Scotland 220,000 minus 14,000 8.2% N Ireland 60,000 plus 5,000 7.1%