There has been more than an 18% increase in the number of unemployed people in Dover during the past year, according to the latest figures.

In August 2010, 1,859 people were out of work in the area. But 12 months later, that figure had risen to 2,196, up 18.1%.

Of the total, 1,508 were men and 688 were women.

Liam Byrne MP, Labour’s shadow work and pensions secretary, described it as "a day of misery on Britain’s jobs front".

"Today we have the clearest and starkest evidence yet that the government’s plan for growth is hurting not helping Britain. Our unemployment is now climbing faster than the Eurozone, Japan and America and we are now losing three times more jobs than we are creating.

"The rise in those without jobs is the highest for two years. The number of young people out of work has surged up by 78,000 and it is women who are now being punished worst."

Mr Byrne said women were bearing the brunt of redundancies

"Women’s unemployment is now the highest for 23 years," he said.

"In a year when the Government has cut support for childcare, 32,000 women have chosen to give up on work. That alone has cost us nearly £50 million in lost tax revenue."