Jobless benefits surpassed one-point-one trillion won in September as the COVID-19 pandemic continued to impact employment.

According to latest data by the Ministry of Employment and Labor on Monday, the government's jobless aid payments in September totaled one-point-166 trillion won, up 74-point-five percent from a year earlier.

The monthly amount has stayed above one trillion won for the fifth consecutive month.

There were 99-thousand new applicants, up nine-thousand from the previous month, reflecting the recent uptick in virus cases since mid-August.

The ministry also said there were 14-point-13 million unemployment insurance subscribers, up two-point-four percent on-year, marking the biggest jump since February.