The total number of employment insurance subscribers increased in the previous month, but it decreased in manufacturing and construction, according to figures compiled on the 11th.
According to the "April labor market trends based on employment administration statistics" released by the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) on the day, the number of employment insurance subscribers in the previous month was 15,807,000. That was an increase of 269,000 from April last year (15,538,000). Since the start of the year, the monthly increase in employment insurance subscribers has remained in the high-200,000 range for four consecutive months.
Cheon Gyeong-gi, head of the Future Employment Analysis Division at the ministry, said, "Jobs covered by employment insurance are enrolled in the four major social insurance programs and have contract periods that are sufficiently long," and noted, "(An increase in this figure) can be interpreted as a positive indicator for the economy."
By industry, the service sector led the overall increase, adding 284,000 people. Within services, the gain was particularly large in health and welfare (117,000).
In contrast, manufacturing and construction saw declines in employment insurance subscribers for the 11th and 33rd consecutive months, respectively. The number of manufacturing subscribers in the previous month was 3,841,000, down 8,000 from April last year. Construction subscribers totaled 746,000, down 9,000 over the same period.
Meanwhile, 667,000 people received job-seeking benefits (unemployment benefits). That was 34,000 fewer than in April last year (701,000). The amount paid out in job-seeking benefits was 1.1091 trillion won, down 48 billion won over the same period.