SEOUL, May 28 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's wage and salary workers increased in the fourth quarter of last year owing to the government's efforts to provide jobs for the elderly, statistical office data showed Thursday.

The number of paid workers totaled 19,086,000 in the fourth quarter, up 592,000, or 3.2 percent, from a year earlier, according to Statistics Korea.

Wage earners in their 60s or higher jumped 303,000, or 13.8 percent, during the quarter, accounting for more than half of the total expansion.

The government unveiled a set of projects to provide jobs for the poor elderly amid the rapidly-aging population.

Paid workers in their 50s expanded 209,000, or 5.2 percent, in the quarter, with those in their 40s and 20s or lower growing 44,000 and 60,000 respectively.

Wage and salary workers in their 30s declined 24,000, or 0.5 percent, in the fourth quarter from a year earlier.

The country's employment was expected to be hit hard by the COVID-19 outbreak in the first quarter of this year as companies encouraged employees to go on an unpaid leave or laid off especially irregular workers.

The Bank of Korea (BOK) forecast that the number of those employed would decline 40,000 in the first half before rebounding 110,000 in the second half. The employment expanded 300,000 in 2019. Enditem

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