Unemployment dropped by nearly a thousand in the county last month.

Figures released today by the Office for National Statistics revealed that the number of people claiming Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) across Kent and Medway fell by 971 to 35,963.

The Medway total dipped by 163 to 7,145 (4.2% of the workforce), while the Kent tally fell by 808 to 28,818 (3.2%).

Totals fell in each of the county’s 12 districts, with three-figure driops in Gravesham (down 118) and Swale (down 146).

Nationally, the number of unemployed people fell by 65,000 to 2.58m, a fgigure that was 132,000 on the year.

The quarterly rate was 8.1%, down 0.2% on the quarter. The claimant count stood at 1.6m, up 6,100 compared with May.

The number of women claiming JSA jumped by 8,000 to 530,700, the highest figure since August 1995.

The increase may be due to fewer single parents being able to claim Lone Parent Income Support.

The number of people out of work for more than two years went up by 18,000 to a 15-year high of 441,000.

The number of jobs rose by 181,000, with the largest job increase in the 25 - 34 age group where the number of people in work rose by 79,000 to 6.64m.

The number of employed people 65 and over rose by 52,000 to 929,000, the highest figure for 20 years.

The employers’ organisation the CBI said that despite challenging times, the labour market was showing some resilience. But the rise in the claimant count remained troubling.

Neil Carberry, CBI Director for Employment and Skills, said: “The rising number of JSA claimants, and the fact that we have 441,000 people who’ve been unemployed for over two years, emphasises how important the Government’s Work Programme is.

"We need everyone to get behind the vital Work Programme initiative, to ensure it fulfils its potential for jobseekers, employers, and taxpayers.”

Claimant count on June 14: Kent and Medway, 35,963 (down 971); Medway, 7,145 (down 163); Rest of Kent, 28,818 (down 808); Ashford, 1,973 (down 54); Canterbury, 2,380 (down 75); Dartford, 1,856 (down 82); Dover, 2,649 (down 55); Gravesham, 2,701 (down 118); Maidstone, 2,416 (down 65); Sevenoaks, 1,271 (down 30); Shepway, 2,715 (down 53); Swale, 3,391 (down 146); Thanet, 4,797 (down 69); Tonbridge and Malling, 1,576 (down 28); Tunbridge Wells, 1,093 (down 33).