The State Statistics Bureau reports that the number of industrial workers is down by 4.7 percent in the first eight months of the year compared to the same period last year.

The decline is accelerating, with a higher rate of job losses reported in August (5.1 percent). Manufacturing in particular dropped by 5.6 percent.

The report comes on the back of the announced 10 percent drop in industrial production. The economy is hit hard by the coronavirus epidemic and the border closures, prompting companies to cut their rolls. But Government policies are also not helping – Macedonia dropped five places in the Doing Business report which used to be one of its main selling points before international investors.