The nation added nearly 700-thousand jobs in October, but growth slowed for the fifth consecutive month.

According to Statistics Korea on Wednesday, the number of employed people stood at 28 million-418-thousand last month, marking an increase of 677-thousand from a year earlier for the largest on-year gain for October since 1999, when 966-thousand jobs were added.

Although last month was the 20th consecutive month of job growth since March of last year, the pace of on-year growth slowed for the fifth straight month after hitting 935-thousand in May.

January posted a 22-year high of over one million jobs added, which continued into February before dropping to the 800-thousands in March and April and then climbing above 900-thousand in May.

The employment rate for those aged 15 and older rose by one-point-three percentage points on-year to reach 62-point-seven percent last month, the highest for October since the nation started compiling related data in 1982.

The jobless rate dropped by zero-point-four percentage points on-year to two-point-four percent.