The number of stay-at-home mothers in South Korea has dropped for the 11th consecutive month as of May, according to data released by Statistics Korea on Wednesday.

The number of women staying at home to attend to housework and child-rearing was 7.08 million in May, down 2.6 percent from the same month a year earlier. The figure has declined for the 11th straight month since July, mainly due to more women searching for work to support their families amid economic difficulties.

More flexible hours and working systems offered by companies ― an initiative supported by the government ― are also cited as a reason for the increase in working mothers.