18 July 2012
Last updated at 13:13 GMT
The ONS figures showed that the number of people in employment rose by 181,000 to 29.35 million.
However, the number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance rose by 6,100 to 1.6 million in June.
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Employment Minister, Chris Grayling said unemployment was "still much too high".
"But, I'm at least encouraged, in what are difficult times economically that we're seeing improvements, across the board."
Unemployment among 16 to 24-year-olds fell by 10,000 to 1.02 million.
The number of self-employed people went up by 32,000 or 0.8%, accounting for nearly half the jobs created during the period, to 4.16 million.
Average total earnings were 1.5% higher in the year to May, the ONS said. When bonuses are excluded, regular pay rose 1.8% from a year earlier.
On average, UK workers earned £442 per week excluding bonuses.
Olympics boost? Howard Archer, an economist at IHS Global Insight said: "It is evident that restrained earnings growth as well as significant increases in part-time jobs and self-employment is helping to keep unemployment down.
On this point, the figures showed that the number of people in work in London hit a record 3.88 million, the highest level since regional employment records began in 1992.
However, as London's population has now risen to 8 million, London's unemployment rate remains relatively high at 8.9%.
Mixed picture Roughly half of the UK's nations and regions bucked the national trend of falling unemployment.
In Yorkshire and the Humber, the unemployment rate rose to 9.7% from 9.3% in the previous quarter.
The unemployment rate also went up in Wales to 9.0% from 8.8%, and edged up to 6.9% in Northern Ireland and to 8.3% in the East of England.
In Scotland, the unemployment rate fell to 8% of the workforce from 7.8%.
The rate in the North East of England fell to 10.9% from 11.2%, but it remained the UK region with the highest unemployment rate.
UK unemployment total falls to 2.58m
Stephanie McGovern visits a distillery in Fife to get a taste of the Scottish economy
The number of people out
of work fell by 65,000 to 2.58 million in the three months to May,
according to the Office for National Statistics.
The unemployment rate fell to 8.1% in the period, down from 8.3% in the previous quarter. The ONS figures showed that the number of people in employment rose by 181,000 to 29.35 million.
However, the number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance rose by 6,100 to 1.6 million in June.
Continue reading the main story
The
number of long-term unemployed also increased, with those out of work
for more than two years rising by 18,000 to a total of 441,000, the
highest since 1997.
The shadow work and pensions secretary Liam Byrne said:
"You've seen another big rise in the number of long-term unemployed...
nearly half the people on the dole have been out of work for more than
six months."Employment Minister, Chris Grayling said unemployment was "still much too high".
"But, I'm at least encouraged, in what are difficult times economically that we're seeing improvements, across the board."
Unemployment among 16 to 24-year-olds fell by 10,000 to 1.02 million.
The number of self-employed people went up by 32,000 or 0.8%, accounting for nearly half the jobs created during the period, to 4.16 million.
Average total earnings were 1.5% higher in the year to May, the ONS said. When bonuses are excluded, regular pay rose 1.8% from a year earlier.
On average, UK workers earned £442 per week excluding bonuses.
Olympics boost? Howard Archer, an economist at IHS Global Insight said: "It is evident that restrained earnings growth as well as significant increases in part-time jobs and self-employment is helping to keep unemployment down.
Continue reading the main story
Unemployment rates in UK nations and regions
- North East England 10.9%
- Yorkshire and the Humber 9.7%
- North West England 9.5%
- Wales 9.0%
- London 8.9%
- West Midlands 8.6%
- East Midlands 8.3%
- Scotland 8.0%
- Northern Ireland 6.9%
- East of England 6.6%
- South East 6.3%
- South West 5.9%
"In addition, the imminent holding of the Olympic Games is currently providing a boost to employment," he said.
However, Peter Dixon of Commerzbank warned that it was
"entirely possible that there will be a temporary boost due to Olympics,
possible that there will be more to come, but if this is
Olympic-related temporary hiring, it is likely to be unwound again later
in the year".On this point, the figures showed that the number of people in work in London hit a record 3.88 million, the highest level since regional employment records began in 1992.
However, as London's population has now risen to 8 million, London's unemployment rate remains relatively high at 8.9%.
Mixed picture Roughly half of the UK's nations and regions bucked the national trend of falling unemployment.
Chris Grayling, Employment Minister: "It is still much too high."
The unemployment rate also went up in Wales to 9.0% from 8.8%, and edged up to 6.9% in Northern Ireland and to 8.3% in the East of England.
In Scotland, the unemployment rate fell to 8% of the workforce from 7.8%.
The rate in the North East of England fell to 10.9% from 11.2%, but it remained the UK region with the highest unemployment rate.
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