Thanet has the highest proportion of people in Kent paid less than the living wage, new figures reveal.

In the district 35.1% of jobs gave workers less than £7.85 an hour in April last year, according to the Office for National Statistics.

It gives the region the 17th highest total in the UK.

The next worst performing areas were Shepway, with 31.8% paying below the living wage, and Gravesham at 31%.

Sevenoaks had the lowest proportion at 15.9%, closely followed by Dartford on 17% and Tunbridge Wells on 20.4%.

The Living Wage, as recommended by the Living Wage Foundation and the Mayor of London, is a voluntary pay standard which covers the basic cost of living.

It is higher than the national minimum wage of £5.30 set by the business secretary each year on the advice of the Low Pay Commission and enforced by HMRC.

A spokesman for Thanet council simply said it is a living wage employer “which is obviously important as one of the major local employers in the area”.

Shepway council spokesman Sarah Smith said: “Our strategy recognises that while there has been jobs growth in Shepway over recent years, many of these have been generally lower paid, lower skilled jobs and there has been a lack of opportunities and workers in the knowledge economy where jobs tend to be higher paid.

“One of our key priorities is to attract new major employers into the district, particularly in the knowledge industries which have better paid jobs.”

Gravesham council also said it is a living wage employer and that it is “setting an example to private firms”.

Almost six million employee jobs in the UK are estimated to be paid less than the living wage, although the South East has the lowest overall proportion of people paid below the living wage.

Plans to introduce a compulsory minimum wage for all staff over 24 years old were introduced in the summer budget.

From April, employers will be required to pay the National Living Wage of £7.20 an hour, with Chancellor George Osborne revealing an ambition to increase this to more than £9 an hour by 2020.