The number of employed last month increased 652,000 from the same month last year, its biggest rise in six years and eight months. Shown here is a job posting board on April 14 at a job center in Seoul's Seongdong-gu District. (Yonhap News)

By Oh Hyun Woo and Yoon Hee Young

The number of employed last month showed its biggest increase in six years and eight months.

Statistics Korea on May 12 said in a report that the number was 27.214 million in April, up 652,000 from the same month last year for its biggest rise since 670,000 in August 2014.

The number of employed had fallen for 12 straight months due to the COVID-19 pandemic from March last year (minus 195,000) to February this year (minus 473,000). The figure returned to positive growth in March at 314,000.

The number reflects the base effect following the employment decrease last year combined with the recent flow of economic improvement.

By industry, the number of jobs in health care and social services increased 9.9% or 224,000; construction's was up 7.3% or 141,000; and transportation and warehousing also saw growth of 7.3% or 107,000.

Other sectors were not as fortunate. The number of jobs in wholesale and retail decreased 5.2% or 182,000; that in associations, organizations, repair and other individual services fell 2.6% or 30,000; and that in art, sports and leisure services dipped 2.2% or 11,000.

The number of unemployed and the unemployment rate also dropped. The former figure decreased 25,000 from the same month last year due to fewer job applicants, mainly those in their 40s and 50s. The jobless rate was 4%, down from 4.2% last year.

The employment rate for the 15-64 age range, the criterion for comparison of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, was 66.2%, up from 65.1% year on year. The rate for young adults ages 15-29 was 43.5%, up from 40.9%.

"Employment trends in April saw the number of jobs grow for the second consecutive month," said Jeong Dong-myeong, director-general of the agency's Social Statistics Bureau.

"This reflected economic recovery and maintenance of relaxed social distancing through higher domestic output and consumption, strong exports, and the base effect of the employment shock in April last year."

hyunw54@korea.kr