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The number of unemployed people in the UK fell during the last quarter, official figures have shown.

New data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveals that in the three months to April the jobless total slid by 15,000 to 1.68 million, leaving the quarterly unemployment rate unchanged at 5.5 per cent.

"This quarterly fall in unemployment occurred entirely among women," a spokesperson said.

In May the number of people claiming jobseekers allowance was down at 880,400, meaning claimant count has fallen for ten of the last 11 months.

The ONS said that overall employment rate for people of working age was 74.3 per cent during the three months ending April 2007, with 29 million people in work during the same period.

Other figures released show that the number of economically inactive people of working age increased by 77,000 over the quarter to reach 7.95 million – the highest figure since records began in 1971.

"This quarterly increase in inactivity was largely due to more economically inactive students and more people looking after the family and home," the ONS explained.

Howard Archer of analyst firm Global Insight said the data suggested the labour market was "tightening".

And on average earnings wage growth – revealed to have risen by four per cent in the year to April – he added: "These are very encouraging figures for the Bank of England, indicating that wage growth is still one inflationary dog that isn't biting."