Record high number of jobless receive unemployment benefits: Labor Ministry

SEOUL, July 20 (Yonhap) -- Nearly half of the nation's jobless received
unemployment benefits in the first half of the year, the highest figure since
payments began in 1996, the Labor Ministry said Monday.
Out of a monthly average of 926,000 people during the period, 404,000 people, or
43.6 percent, received unemployment benefits, according to data compiled by the
ministry.
The percentage has risen steadily over the past few years, from 15 percent in
2003, to 26.8 percent in 2006, 31 percent in 2007 and 35.4 percent in 2008.
The latest statistics reflect that the economic slump has raised the relative
value of the benefits, a ministry official said.
"Those who formerly didn't bother to register their unemployment and undergo
vocational training are now applying for the unemployment benefits as the
economic recession continues," said the official.
Some 603,000 newly unemployed workers applied during the January-June period this
year, up 43.9 percent from 419,000 of the same period last year.
The benefits payment in the first half surpassed 2.1 trillion won (US$1.7
billion), up by 52.1 percent from 1.3 trillion won in the same period last year,
according to the ministry.
The unemployment rate stood at 3.9 percent in June, up from 3.8 percent the
previous month, surging to the highest level in three months, according to the
National Statistical Office.
brk@yna.co.kr
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