UNEMPLOYMENT in Medway and Kent combined rose 266 to 17,779 (2.4 per cent) in July, against the national trend.

Only Gravesham had something to shout about as the number of people out of work and claiming benefit fell by 19 to 1,388 (3.9 per cent). Jobless totals rose 86 in Medway, 11 in Dartford, 17 in Swale, 16 in Maidstone and 52 in Tonbridge and Malling. Nationally, unemployment fell by 3,100 to 949,600, its lowest level for 26 years, despite further job losses in manufacturing. Fresh fears about the health of the economy were raised last month after manufacturing output suffered its biggest fall for more than 20 years.

The Government's preferred measure of unemployment — the number of people looking for work — increased to 1.54 million in the three months to June, up 44,000 on a year ago. But the number of people in work reached an all-time high of 28.55 million in the same three month period.

The total number of jobs in the manufacturing sector fell to a new low, however, of 3.7 million. Average earnings increased by 0.1 per cent to 3.9 per cent in the year to June, driven by growth in the private sector. Private sector average earnings were four per cent higher in June than a year ago.