March 9 (Bloomberg) -- The number of households on welfare in Japan rose to a record in January as automobile and electronics companies fired workers amid the economic slump, the Asahi newspaper reported, citing government figures.

There were 1.168 million households on welfare in January, an increase of 8,700 from the previous month, the newspaper said on its Web site. New applications for the government’s livelihood assistance program increased 30 percent, mostly from non-regular workers, the paper said.

Aichi and Shizuoka prefectures, where Toyota Motor Corp. and other car markers have factories, recorded the most welfare applications, the Asahi said. Aichi, west of Tokyo, had a 72 percent rise in applications from December, the paper said.

About 158,000 non-regular jobs, mostly in the manufacturing sector, are expected to be lost between October last year and the end of this month, the paper said, citing the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.

To contact the reporter on this story: Adam Le in Tokyo at ale14@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: March 9, 2009 02:29 EDT