Düsseldorf (dpa / lnw) – The craft businesses in North Rhine-Westphalia increased their sales in the third quarter by 9.1 percent compared to the same period last year – with the number of employees often remaining constant or even slightly declining. The nominal (not price-adjusted) sales figures were recorded, as announced by the State Statistical Office IT.NRW on Thursday. In a year-on-year comparison, revenues increased sharply, especially in the main construction trades (plus 11.6 percent) and in trade for the commercial sector (plus 10.9 percent). There was also significant growth in the food industry (plus 9.9). The number of employees fell slightly overall by 0.2 percent, with differences between different trades.
