The number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance in Sheppey and Sittingbourne has fallen by more than 700 since the start of the year.

Figures released by the Office for National Statistics show that last month there were 1,413 claimants in the area, down 711 from January.

The total number of those claiming the benefit across the whole borough of Swale stands at 1,587.

Last month the Island’s total went down by 58 while Sittingbourne’s figure dropped by 67.

Jobcentre manager Mark Hurry said: “There’s lots going on in the area. There’s no big recruitment as such but lots of companies.

“We’ve got Wetherspoon opening up [in Sittingbourne], we’ve been talking to them.”

He added one thing they have been doing at Sheerness is working with different organisations such as Go Train, NHS Trainers, Barclays and the National Careers Service to get people back into work.

Swale council leader Cllr Andrew Bowles (Con) has called the drop in people claiming the benefit “brilliant” news. He said: “These are indeed great figures.

“They evidence both the council’s commitment to sustainable jobs and the Conservative government’s determination to grow the economy and reduce unemployment.”

Opposition leader Cllr Mike Baldock (Ukip) has argued that the numbers should be treated with caution as they may not show the number of people who are moving into long-term employment.

He said: “More people are able to find work which must be welcomed but we must remember the types of jobs people are being forced into, a lot of people working part-time hours, a lot of people not using the skills they’ve got because they’re not able to find jobs like that in the area.

“The other angle is how many people are being forced off benefits? People who are disabled being found fit for work when they are not.”

The data reflects a general trend across the county as every borough in Kent recorded a drop in May.

Thanet had the largest fall, with 190 people no longer claiming, bringing the area’s total to 2,528.

In Tunbridge Wells the drop of 29 was the lowest in Kent, although it also has the smallest total of 478 on Jobseeker’s Allowance.

The South East has the lowest claimant count in the UK at just 1.2% of its population.