The government's wage-subsidy program for nursing-care workers, launched in April when the state-run nursing-care insurance system for the elderly began, helped create about 12,000 new jobs through July, an industry group said Wednesday.

The Nursing-Care Workers Stabilization Center, affiliated with the Labor Ministry, said the government's wage-subsidy program has proved successful in helping promote employment in nursing-care sectors, with more jobs created than anticipated.

Under the program, the government gives subsidies to corporate and nonprofit service providers if they hire new full-time or part-time nursing staff.

The government pays half the wages of new full-time employees for one year, as well as one-third of the salaries of the new part-time staff.

The center said it received 2,243 applications for the subsidies during the four-month period since April. For every application, an average of 5.2 jobs were created, it said.