Most jobs lost in the processing industry were in the clothing plants (16,400), manufacture of motor vehicles (12,299), tanning and dressing of leather; manufacture of luggage, handbags, saddlery and harness and footwear (6,500) and manufacture of machinery and equipment (4,800) sectors.
Second highest decline in the number of employees was recorded in the hotel and food service industry, 10,800, from 218,500 in October 2019 to 207,700 in October 2020.
This industry was among the worst hit by the pandemic, with restaurants and coffee shops having to close or operating at partial capacity since March.
Third most affected was the transportation and storage industry, where the number of employees dropped by 7,900 from 268,800 to 260,900. Only postal and courier services in this sector saw an increase by 2,700 employees in October 2019 – October 2020. Courier service companies recorded significant increase in business amid the COVID-19 pandemic. They posted 5.2 billion lei revenue in 2019 and their revenue should reach RON6 billion in 2020, according to a KeysFin analysis.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)