Unemployment benefits paid out in the month of July have reached a new high with the rising number of unemployed people amid the pandemic.

According to Employment and Labor Ministry data on Monday, unemployment allowances paid to those who are unemployed or seeking jobs reached nearly one-point-two trillion won last month, up more than 56 percent from the same month last year.

The previous record of one-point-one trillion won was set in June.

The figure has been setting a new record for the sixth consecutive month since February when the coronavirus began to spread in South Korea.

Last month, there were 114-thousand first-time applicants for the job seekers allowance, up 13 percent on-year while a record 731-thousand people have received payments.

The ministry explained that the steep increase is not only due to a rise in the unemployed but also policy changes that include a hike in the allowance amount and extension of payment period.

Also in July, the number of employment insurance subscribers rose to 13-point-nine million, up one-point-four percent from a year ago.

The monthly growth in insurance subscriptions had plummeted to 155-thousand in May from around 500-thousand a month last year amid the COVID-19 fallout. The figure rebounded to 184-thousand in June and further rose last month.