by business editor Trevor Sturgess

Unemployment across the county has fallen by more than a thousand - bucking the national trend.

While the claimant count rose nationally by 23,800 to 1.56 million, the number of people out of work and claiming benefit in Kent and Medway dipped to 34,106 in June, down 1,091 over the previous month.

As the national quarterly unemployment rate jumped 281,000 to 2.38 million - 7.6 per cent of the working population - in the three months to May, there were signs that Kent and Medway may be weathering recession better than elsewhere.

This was underlined by a fall of 129 in Medway’s claimant count to 6,891 (4.3 per cent), and in the rest of Kent by 962 to 27,215 (3.3 per cent).

All 12 Kent districts saw unemployment fall, with particularly steep falls in East Kent. Ashford, the town most likely to benefit from economic benefits ushered in by new high-speed commuter services to London, enjoyed the biggest numerical fall of 165.

There were also three-digit falls in Dover (down 140), Thanet (down 116) and Swale (down 113), with Shepway close behind on 97.

The long-term unemployed (over 12 months) went up 46,000 to 528,000. Unemployment for 18 - 24 year olds was 726,000, up 95,000, while vacancies were down 35,000 to 429,000, a fall of 222,000 on the same time a year ago.

Nick Hopkinson, director of Property Portfolio Rescue (PPR), said: "At 2.38 million, today’s data reflects the largest quarterly increase in unemployment on record.

"This data is truly depressing and reflects the personal nightmare that the credit crunch is causing for many thousands of Britons.

Katja Hall, the CBI’s director of employment policy, warned that more jobs would go, with unemployment likely to peak at three million early next year.

"This hefty rise is in line with our forecast and reflects the tough climate that businesses face," she said. "Sadly, more and more jobs will be lost in this difficult recession and we expect unemployment to peak at three million next spring.

"The rise in youth unemployment is particularly worrying and the government must target more help to prevent long-term damage to a generation."

Unemployment figures on June 11: Kent and Medway combined, 34,106 (down 1,091); Medway, 6,891 (down 129); Rest of Kent, 27,215 (down 962); Ashford, 1,876 (down 165); Canterbury, 2,309 (down 48); Dartford, 1,976 (down 30); Dover, 2,188 (down 140); Gravesham, 2,563 (down 42); Maidstone, 2,365 (down 44); Sevenoaks, 1,437 (dow 54); Shepway, 2,371 (down 97); Swale, 3,105 (down 113); Thanert, 3,970 (down 116); Tonbridge and Malling, 1,651 (down 60); Tunbridge Wells, 1,404 (down 53).