October 21 (SeeNews) - There were 151,359 unemployed people in North Macedonia at the end of September, up from 101,036 at the end of September 2019, data by the country's employment agency showed, reflecting on the effects of the coronavirus crisis on the labour market.
On a monthly comparison basis, the number of unemployed people increased by 4.6% in September, as there were 144,759 unemployed people in the country at the end of August, the data showed.
North Macedonia confirmed its first coronavirus case in late February. The government closed shops, restaurants, bars and other businesses in March to limit the spread of the Covid-19 disease, but started easing restrictions on movement in late May, which led to an increase in daily infections.
New coronavirus cases have risen at an alarming rate recently, prompting the government on Tuesday to limit working hours of bars and restaurants to 11 pm and reduce passenger capacity of buses by half.
On Tuesday, North Macedonia confirmed 408 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total count to 24,196, health ministry data shows. So far, 850 people have died from Covid-19 in North Macedonia.
North Macedonia's government is currently implementing a fourth package of measures aimed at reducing the impact of the outbreak with incentives such as social assistance schemes for the unemployed, low-paid workers and retirees and wage subsidies for firms affected by the crisis.