Düsseldorf (dpa / lnw) – North Rhine-Westphalia’s craftsmen do significantly more business than a year ago. Revenue increased by 16.4 percent in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the same period last year, as the state statistics office IT.NRW announced on Monday in Düsseldorf. Crafts and trades companies for private use recorded the highest growth (up 39.1 percent), and the main construction trades also picked up (up 24.9 percent). All divisions increased. As usual, the statisticians did not give a reason for the development, but the consequences of the corona pandemic are likely to play a central role. The comparable quarter of 2021 was weak.