Another 81 people joined the line for unemployment benefits in Kent last month.

There were 16,597 claimants on either Jobseeker’s Allowance or universal credit in September, according to the Office for National Statistics.

The largest increase was in Swale, where 62 unemployed joined the dole queue, bringing the district’s total to 1,667.

Sittingbourne and Sheppey MP Gordon Henderson said: “I am still confident that in the long term unemployment will continue to fall in my constituency, with the planned expansion of the Eurolink in Sittingbourne, the continuing success of the Kent Science Park, and the new Aldi distribution warehouse being constructed on Sheppey, which alone will create 400 jobs.

“In addition we are seeing a number of smaller companies being attracted to the area. Last week I opened Nim’s factory in Sittingbourne that will manufacture fruit crisps and create 10 jobs.”

Elsewhere, most falls and gains cancelled each other out, the largest risers being Canterbury, up 20 to 959, Ashford, up 19 to 947, and Gravesham, up 17 to 1,278.

The largest decline was in Medway, down 21 to 3,688, although this remains Kent’s highest total by more than 1,400.

Other fallers were Dover, down 19 to 1,086, Tunbridge Wells, down 19 to 441, Sevenoaks, down 17 to 514, and Shepway, down six to 1,109.

Modest increases were recorded in Tonbridge and Malling, up 13 to 719, Maidstone, up 12 to 1,168, Thanet, up 11 to 2,241, and Dartford, up 10 to 768.

Nationally, the number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance and the unemployment element of Universal Credit increased last month by 4,600 to 796,200.

Across the South East, unemployment fell 10,000 to 191,000 between June and August, a decline of 5.1%.

The region’s unemployment rate stood at 4.1%.

Unemployment in the UK fell by 79,000 between June and August to 1.7 million.

Nationally, the unemployment rate was 5.4%, down from 6% for a year earlier and the lowest since 2008.