The number of people in South Korea applying for unemployment benefits or job-seekers' allowance surpassed 100-thousand for the fourth consecutive month in April amid an economic slowdown due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor on Monday, there were 129-thousand new applicants in April, up 32-thousand or 33 percent compared to a year earlier.

By sector, 22-thousand were from manufacturing, 16-thousand-300 from the wholesale and retail industry and 15-thousand-700 from the service industry.

The total amount of the allowance out of the employment insurance fund posted a record-high of 993-point-three billion won in April, up 34-point-six percent on-year.

The number of new employment insurance subscribers totaled 163-thousand in April, after monthly subscriptions fell below 300-thousand for the first time in two years in March.