A SHARP fall in Gravesham unemployment helped the county to its second three-digit dip in a row.

Gravesham’s jobless tally came in at 182, accounting for most of the combined drop of 228 in Kent and Medway in November. The total had fallen 453 in October.

There was a mixed picture across the county, with four out of 12 districts posting an increase. Ashford saw the largest rise of 32.

Nationally, the claimant count fell 5,700 to 950,800. The unemployment rate was 1.7 million (5.5 per cent) in the three months to July, down 7,000 from the previous quarter but up 197,000 from a year earlier.

Unemployment among 18 to 24-year-olds fell 15,000 to 516,000 in the quarter ending October.

The number of workforce jobs went up 65,000 to 31.06 million, 248,000 higher than a year earlier. The sector showing the largest annual increase in jobs was education, health and public administration which rose by 149,000.

There were 3.03 million jobs in manufacturing, down 77,000 on the same period a year ago. Average earnings rose by 3.8 per cent in the three months to October.

Jobless figures as recorded on November 9: Kent and Medway, 20,617 (down 228); Medway, 4,443 (up 25); Kent, 16,174 (down 253); Ashford, 909 (up 32); Canterbury, 1,449 (down seven); Dartford, 1,021 (down 37); Dover, 1,610 (up four); Gravesham, 1,552 (down 182); Maidstone, 1,274 (up 12); Sevenoaks, 697 (down 32); Shepway, 1,762 (down 17); Swale, 1,969 (up eight); Thanet, 2,512 (down 13); Tonbridge and Malling, 776 (down 21); Tunbridge Wells, 643 (no change).