Part-time work, including communications jobs, has contributed to a rise in employment.
A record rise in the number of people in part-time positions helped total UK employment increase by 160,000, the biggest gain for nearly four years.
Of this number, 148,000 people found employment on a part-time basis, with 12,000 securing fulltime work.
Employment minister Chris Grayling welcomed the rise in part-time work, but conceded that it perhaps covered up the reality of the employment situation.
He told Sky News: “It has helped mask the scale of the employment challenge we face … we’ve got a big challenge ahead to try to turn the economy around.”
The number of people out of work fell by a total of 34,000 over the past quarter to 2.47 million.
Mr Grayling added that this fall is a “step in the right direction”.
Economists have predicted that overall employment will rise over the next few years.
