Anchor: COVID-19’s growing impact is manifesting in the local job market with South Korea marking continued job declines for three consecutive months. While the fallout from the pandemic is likely to continue to distress the world’s 12th largest economy for the time being, officials say they see some hopeful signs for recovery in the latest job figures. 
Moon Gwang-lip has more. 

Report: Statistics Korea said on Wednesday that the number of employed people in the nation reached 26-point-93 million in May. 

It is down by 392-thousand from a year earlier and extends an on-year job loss rally to three months following declines of 476-thousand and 195-thousand in April and March, respectively. 

It is the first such occurrence since the four-month run of job losses recorded from October 2009 to January 2010 during the global financial crisis.

The employment rate for those aged 15 or older slipped by one-point-three percentage points on-year to 60-point-two percent while the country's jobless rate rose by point-five percentage points to a record high four-and-a-half percent for the month. 

First Vice Finance Minister Kim Yong-beom said while the labor market continues to face hardships, some positive changes were detected in May compared to March and April, including a rebound in the number of employed reflecting seasonal factors. 

He also pointed to an uptick in the jobless rate and a fall in the employment rate, which despite their apparently negative ramifications could also indicate revived will by many to find jobs. 

A drop in the number of temporarily laid-off people compared to the two previous months was also suggested as possible evidence of eased labor market conditions. 
Moon Gwang-lip, KBS World Radio News.