UNEMPLOYMENT in Kent and Medway has risen for the second time in two months.

In the four weeks to August 11, the number of people out of work and claiming benefit went up by 405 to 18,961. It followed a 120 rise the previous month.

The Medway jobless total went up by 48 to 3,741 (3.3 per cent of the workforce).

In the rest of Kent, an extra 357 people joined the unemployment register, pushing the tally up to 15,220 (1.9 per cent).

Thanet was the county’s jobless blackspot, with a sharp increase of 175. Totals also went up in Canterbury, Dover, Maidstone, Sevenoaks, Shepway, Swale, Tonbridge and Malling and Tunbridge Wells. Only Ashford and Dartford bucked the upward trend.

Nationally, the claimant count was 866,200, up 1,600 from the previous month.

The Government’s preferred unemployment level was 1.42m in the three months to July 2005, up 12,000 from the three months to April. This figure included 836,000 men (up 8,000) and 582,000 women (up 4,000).

The number of people unemployed for more than 12 months was 302,000, up 8,000 on the previous quarter.

Unemployment for 18 - 24-year-olds rose by 16,000 to 420,000.

Average earnings went up 3.9 per cent in the three months to July 2005, with the public sector showing the steepest rise - 4.6 per cent.

The number of manufacturing jobs - 3.19m - was down 95,000 on the same period a year ago.

Job vacancies fell by 7,400 to 631,700 in the three months to August 2005, down 15,500 from a year ago.

Jobless rates (with workforce percentages) on August 11: Kent and Medway, 18,961 (up 405); Medway, 3,741 (up 48) - 2.4 per cent; Rest of Kent, 15,220 (up 357) - 1.9 per cent; Ashford, 858 (down 10) - 1.3 per cent; Canterbury, 1,366 (up 43) - 1.6 per cent; Dartford, 1,040 (down five) - 1.9 per cent; Dover, 1,454 (up five) - 2.4 per cent; Gravesham, 1,458 (down 10) - 2.5 per cent; Maidstone, 1,152 (up 27) - 1.3 per cent; Sevenoaks, 691 (up 24) - 1.1 per cent; Shepway, 1,504 (up 25) - 2.6 per cent; Swale, 1,726 (up 23) - 2.3 per cent; Thanet, 2,612 (up 175) - 3.7 per cent; Tonbridge and Malling, 719 (up 39) - 1.1 per cent; Tunbridge Wells, 640 (up 21) - 1.0 per cent.