SEOUL, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's jobless claims rose last month amid the lingering worry about economic slump, labor ministry data showed Tuesday.

The number of new applicants for job-seeking benefits stood at 201,500 in January, up 7.0 percent from the same month of last year, according to the Ministry of Employment and Labor.

The number rebounded after reducing in single digits in the previous month on concerns about economic slowdown.

The benefit applicants grew in the manufacturing, the science and technology and the construction industries, but those in the public administration and the education service sectors reduced last month.

The job-seeking benefits are offered by the government to help the unemployed seek jobs, taking up a majority of unemployment benefits. It is financed by the state employment insurance fund.

The number of benefit receivers totaled 614,200 in January, up 5.7 percent from a year ago. It kept an upward trend for the 12th consecutive month since February last year.

The total payment of job-seeking benefits added 10.9 percent to 939.1 billion won (706.9 million U.S. dollars) in the cited month. Enditem

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