S. Korea's jobless claims fall for 2nd month in August

SEOUL, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's jobless claims fell for the second consecutive month due to lower demand in the construction and manufacturing industries, government data showed Monday.

The number of new applicants for job-seeking benefits fell 6.3 percent over the year to 81,000 in August, continuing to slide since July, according to the Ministry of Employment and Labor.

The benefit applicants expanded in the education service industry, but the reading declined in the construction, manufacturing, and wholesale and retail sectors.

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 638,000 in August, up 2.0 percent from a year earlier.

The total payment of job-seeking benefits added 0.7 percent to 1.03 trillion won (741.3 million U.S. dollars) in the cited month. Enditem