Dole applications rise

The number of approved applications for unemployment benefit reached 51,186 in July, up 3,426 over the June figure, according to statistics released Thursday by the Labor Insurance Bureau. Bureau officials noted that apart from February, payouts for unemployment benefit in the first five months all exceeded NT$1 billion (US$29.4 million) per month. The payouts dropped to NT$800 million in June and rose slightly to NT$856 million in July.