by business editor Trevor Sturgess

Unemployment has dipped by more than a thousand across the county.

Figures released today by the Office for National Statistics show that 37,602 people were out of work and claiming Jobseeker's Allowance last month, a drop of 1,027.

The Medway total fell by 131 to 7,410 (4.4% of the workforce). In the rest of the county, the dole queue shortened by 896 to 30,192 (3.4%).

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Nationally, the number of people out of work fell 45,000 to 2.63m in the three months to March (8.2%). The claimant count fell by 13,700 to 1.59m.

All 12 Kent districts saw unemployment fall. Swale was the star performer with a steep dip of 198 people.

Gravesham (down 95), Shepway (down 97), Tunbridge Wells (down 89) and Maidstone (down 86) all showed encouraging falls.

Claimant count on April 12: Kent and Medway combined, 37,602 (down 1,027); Medway, 7,410 (down 131); Rest of Kent, 30,192 (down 896); Ashford, 2,059 (down 63); Canterbury, 2,524 (down 59); Dartford, 2,006 (down 30); Dover, 2,783 (down 19); Gravesham, 2,864 (down 95); Maidstone, 2,549 (down 86); Sevenoaks, 1,328 (down 78); Shepway, 2,777 (down 97); Swale, 3,600 (down 198); Thanet, 4,902 (down 44); Tonbridge and Malling, 1,649 (down 38); Tunbridge Wells, 1,151 (down 89).