SEOUL, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's new jobless claims fell for a third straight month due to a sharp contraction in the construction sector, government data showed Wednesday.
The number of new applicants for job-seeking benefits dipped 2.5 percent from a year earlier to 87,000 in September, keeping a downward trajectory since July, according to the Ministry of Employment and Labor.
The statistical breakdown highlighted a significant reduction in claims from the construction industry that was offset by moderate increases in healthcare and retail sectors.
The construction sector recorded the steepest decline of 22.4 percent last month, and the manufacturing industry followed with a decrease of 6.8 percent.
New jobless claims in the healthcare and social welfare and wholesale and retail sectors grew 7 percent and 2.5 percent, respectively, in the cited month.
The government offers the job-seeking benefits to help the unemployed find work, accounting for the majority of unemployment benefits. It is financed by the state employment insurance fund.
The number of benefit recipients totaled 601,000 in September, down 3.7 percent from a year earlier.
It was driven by a substantial contraction of beneficiaries in the construction industry, the number of which dropped 26.8 percent last month.
The total payout for job-seeking benefits declined 3.4 percent to 1.03 trillion won (about 771 million U.S. dollars) in the cited month. ■