Surprisingly strong UK jobs figures The number of Britons claiming jobless benefit unexpectedly fell last month. The total count of people in work also rose in the three months up to August. Releasing the figures, the Office for National Statistics said that improvement may have come from hiring for the London Olympics and Paralympics. "Employment is up 212,000 - that's a success; unemployment down 50,000 this quarter - that's a success; the claimant count down 4,000 - that's a success," Prime Minister David Cameron told parliament. However, the official statistics do not match recent surveys of companies which speak of labour market weakness. More about: Jobs, Unemployment, United Kingdom