SEOUL, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's jobless claims fell for the third straight month due mainly to lower demand in the construction industry, government data showed Monday.

The number of new applicants for job-seeking benefits dipped 3.3 percent over the year to 98,000 in December 2025 after reducing 6.4 percent in November and 16.2 percent in October, according to the Ministry of Employment and Labor.

The benefit applicants decreased in the construction, the lodging and eatery, and the manufacturing industries, but the reading increased in the health and welfare service and the transportation and warehousing sectors.

The job-seeking benefits are offered by the government to help the unemployed seek jobs, taking up a majority of unemployment benefits. It is financed by the state employment insurance fund.

The number of benefit receivers totaled 527,000 in December, down 0.8 percent from a year earlier.

The total payment of job-seeking benefits gained 1.3 percent to 813.6 billion won (555.0 million U.S. dollars) in the cited month. ■