A record eleven-point-85 trillion won was paid in unemployment benefits last year amid the economic difficulties from the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the latest data by the Ministry of Employment and Labor on Monday, the government paid nearly 957 billion won in job-seeking assistance in December last year.

The record amount likely reflects the employment shock in the fallout from the pandemic, as well as an extension of the payment period that began in October 2019.

Last month, there were 108-thousand new applicants, up 12-thousand, or 12-point-five percent, from a year earlier.

There were a total of 600-thousand recipients, an increase of 181-thousand, or 43-point-two percent, from the same month in 2019.