South Korea posted the biggest job growth in 22 years for the month of April by adding more than 860-thousand jobs.

Statistics Korea said on Wednesday that the number of employed people totaled nearly 28-point-08 million last month, up 865-thousand from a year earlier.

It marks the largest on-year increase for the month of April since 2000, when more than one million jobs were added.

April marks the 14th straight month the nation has posted on-year job growth.

More than one million jobs were added in January and February, with the growth slowing to about 830-thousand in March.

Part-time work for the elderly in the public sector and manufacturing jobs increased, but employment fell in the retail, lodging and restaurant businesses as the effect of the pandemic continued. 

The employment rate for those aged 15 and older gained one-point-seven percentage points on-year to reach 62-point-one percent last month, setting a new record for the month of April.

The jobless rate dropped by one percentage point on-year to three percent, the lowest for any April on record. The number of jobless people came to 864-thousand, down 283-thousand from a year earlier.