S. Korea's jobless claims rise 4.4 pct in July

SEOUL, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's jobless claims rose last month amid growing worry about an economic slump, labor ministry data showed Monday.

The number of new applicants for job-seeking benefits stood at 104,000 in July, up 4.4 percent from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Employment and Labor.

The number rebounded this year on the mounting concerns about the economic downturn, driven by the continued export fall and the faltering housing market.

The benefit applicants expanded in the manufacturing, construction, and information and communications industries.

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 634,000 in July, up 3.4 percent from a year earlier. It kept an upward trend for the sixth straight month since February.

The total payment of job-seeking benefits increased 4.9 percent to 958.2 billion won (734.9 million U.S. dollars) in the cited month.

The per-capita payment added 1.5 percent to 1,512,000 won (1,160 dollars) last month.