by business editor Trevor Sturgess

Rising unemployment - up 450 - across the county added to the gloomy economic start to 2011.

The day after official figures revealed a steep 3.7 per cent rise in the cost of living, more people are facing a double whammy of losing their job and paying higher prices for essentials.

The number of people out of work and claiming Job Seekers Allowance in Kent and Medway went up to 31,193.

The claimant count in Medway increased by 172 to 6,173 (3.7 per cent of the workforce), while the total for the rest of Kent jumped by 278 to 25,020, (2.8 per cent).

There was a mixed picture across the county, with the dole queue shortening in half of Kent's 12 districts and lengthening in the other six.

Dover (up 81), Ashford (up 71), Gravesham (up 70) and Shepway (up 62) saw the biggest rises, while Tonbridge and Malling (down 47) enjoyed the biggest fall.

Nationally, unemployment went up by 49,000 to 2.5 million (7.9 per cent) in the three months to November.

The claimant count in December fell by 4,100 to 1.46 million.

Claimant count on December 9: Kent and Medway 31,193 (up 450); Medway, 6,173 (up 172); Rest of Kent, 25,020 (up 278); Ashford, 1,782 (up 71); Canterbury, 1,981 (down five); Dartford, 1,748 (down six); Dover, 2,150 (up 70), Gravesham, 2,250 (up 81); Maidstone, 2,113 (down eight); Sevenoaks, 1,176 (down 13); Shepway, 2,462 (up 62); Swale, 3,025 (up 39); Thanet, 4,074 (up 53); Tonbridge and Malling, 1,236 (down 47); Tunbridge Wells, 1,023 (down 19).