S. Korea jobless rate stays at 3.1 pct in August
10/9/2008 17:16
South Korea's jobless rate stayed at 3.1 percent in August, unchanged from
the previous month, the report by the country's National Statistical Office
(NSO) showed today.
According to the report, 159,000 new jobs were generated
in August from a year ago, up from a 153,000 advance in July.
However, the
figure was still below the government's target of creating 200,000 more jobs,
reflecting the companies'reluctance to hire new workers amid growing business
uncertainty.
The NSO's director general Kim, Jin-gyu said increased job
creation raises expectations that the nation's sluggish job market has finally
hit bottom but more time will be needed to confirm whether such a turnaround is
really taking place.
Meanwhile, the total number of employers reached 23.61
million at the end of August, the report showed.
Xinhua
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