The number of workers at the country's top 500 companies rose in the first half of this year after falling during the same period last year amid the pandemic. 

Of the 500 companies, corporate tracker CEO Score surveyed 460, which disclosed the number of workers covered by national pension. 

According to CEO Score on Wednesday, one-point-five million workers were employed at the 460 companies during the first six months of the year, up almost 14-thousand from a year ago.

During that time, 130-thousand-328 people were newly covered by the national pension, while 125-thousand-69 lost coverage, which means net employment rose by more than five-thousand. 

In the first half of last year, net employment decreased by about four-thousand. 

CEO Score said employment rose at tech, pharmaceutical and service companies, but declined at carmakers, banks and insurance firms.