SEOUL-- The growth in the number of workers hired by businesses in August fell to a five-month low last month, as the COVID-19 pandemic continued to weigh down on the economy, the government said Thursday.

The total number of workers employed by businesses as of the end of last month stood at 18.85 million, up 224,000, or 1.2 percent, from a year ago, according to the Ministry of Employment and Labor. The rise, however, was the smallest since March, when the number increased by 193,000.

The ministry said that the number of people working at restaurants and hotels dropped by 35,000, while those in the travel and facility maintenance business also decreased by 12,000.

Workers in the government and public administration also fell by 85,000, recording a sharp drop that is seen to have been due to the large increase in public job hiring in August last year.

The number of employees in manufacturing, however, rose by 22,000, recording a fourth-consecutive monthly gain since May. Public health and welfare workers also increased by 112,000, and employees in the technology and telecommunications sectors also saw increases of 59,000 and 56,000, respectively.

Source: Yonhap News Agency