by Phil Pitt

Unemployment rose just fractionally in Kent last month. Overall across the county, the claimant total went up by 51 to 34,157 in July.

The slight increase came on the heels of a fall in jobless totals the previous month, and against a picture of a national rise of 220,000 people to 2.44 million.

It means Kent’s unemployment rate rose at just 0.1 per cent last month, compared to the national figure which saw a nine per cent rise in the number of people out of work.

There were an extra 220 people unemployed in Medway, taking the area’s jobless total up to 7,111 and more than wiping out the cut in the total last month. Gravesham saw a very small increase in jobless numbers, up by five to 2,568.

But many parts of Kent recorded a modest rise in employment. In Shepway, the number of people claiming benefit fell by 81 to 2,290, and in Swale the figure fell by 88 to 3,017.

Ashford too saw a slight fall in the numbers with 1,865 unemployed, down 11 on the previous month and Canterbury seeing a reduction of 28 in the number out of work to 2,281.

Thanet, an area of traditional higher unemployment, saw no change in its jobless total at 3,970.

The traditionally affluent areas of West Kent saw unemployment up slightly - Tonbridge and Malling (up 32), Tunbridge Wells (up five) and Sevenoaks (up 17) all saw minor rises.

Maidstone saw a jobless rise of 32 to 2,387.

Commenting on the figures Richard Lambert, CBI director-general, said: "These numbers are grim, but broadly in line with expectations. They would have been a lot worse but for the way that flexible working practices and pay freezes and cuts have limited the damage.

"The most recent surveys of employment intentions look a bit less dire than was the case a few months ago, and the pace of deterioration in the labour market may have slowed a little. But as the Bank of England suggests, it is possible that pay moderation may have only delayed, rather than limited, further increases in unemployment.

"So it is too soon to call the turn, and we still expect the unemployment rate to hit three million early next year."