Dole queues in Kent and Medway shortened again by nearly 700 people over the last month.

Unemployment across the county fell to 36,934 - a fall of 668 from April's figures, according to statistics released by the Office for National Statistics today.

It is the third consecutive month the number of people seeking Jobseekers' Allowance has fallen.

This followed a period of eight consecutive monthly increases in the claimant count, dating back to July last year.

Every district across the county saw falls in their unemployment figure, which is the second month in a row this has happened.

Medway saw their total fall by 102 to 7,308.

In the rest of the county, dole queues shortened by 566 - with Dover the best performer, seeing their claimant count fall by 79 to 2,704.

Canterbury were next in line, with a dip of 69 to 2,455.

Close behind were Dartford and Maidstone, who both saw their jobless totals fall by 68 to 1,938 and 2,481 respectively.

Unemployment dropped in Swale by 63 to 3,537; Tonbridge and Malling by 45 to 1,604; Gravesham by 45 to 2,819; Thanet by 36 to 4,886; Ashford by 32 to 2,027; Sevenoaks by 27 to 1,301; and Tunbridge Wells by 25 to 1,126.

The smallest dip was in Shepway, by nine to 2,768.

Nationally, the number of people out of work fell by 51,000 to 2.61 million in the three months to April.

But the claimant count - the number of people claiming Jobseekers' Allowance - went up by 8,100 in May to 1.6 million.