The jobless toll has soared across Kent and Medway

by business editor Trevor Sturgess

Unemployment across the county has jumped by more than 1,000.

Figures released today - Budget day - will make further disappointing reading for Chancellor George Osborne.

Nationally, the number of people out of work in the three months to January edged up 7,000 to 2.52miillion (7.8% of the workforce).

While the number of people claiming Jobseekers' Allowance fell nationally by 1,500 to 1.5million, it was a bleaker picture in Kent and Medway.

Only Sevenoaks defied an across-the-board rise with a small drop of seven.

But the situation was bad everywhere else, with the countywide toll rising by 1,054 to 36,881.

The number of benefit claimants across the county has soared by 2,479 in the past two months, defying a small decline in the national count.

Medway's tally leapt by 169 to 7,082 (4.1%), while three districts - Ashford, Gravesham and Thanet - all posted treble-digit rises - 111, 134 and 133 respectively.

John Longworth, director-general of the British Chambers of Commerce representing many Kent and Medway firms, said the figures provided further evidence that businesses were doing all they could to support growth and create jobs in a weak economy.

But they could not do it alone, he said.

In a veiled message to the Chancellor, Mr Longworth said: "The government
must go all out in the name of growth, and do much more to support the
ambitions of UK companies, many of whom will be the wealth creators of
tomorrow."