About half of businesses in Israel have seen a significant decline in revenues during Israel's war with Hamas, according to a survey published on Wednesday by the Central Bureau of Statistics.
Some of the hardest hit industries include construction and food services, in which more than 70% of those surveyed reported a drop of more than 70% in revenue. Smaller businesses were hardest hit.
Israel has been dealing with a shortage of workers, since hundreds of thousands of Israelis have been called up for military reserve duty. About 11% of businesses reported that more than 21% of their workforce was called up.
The construction sector, which is heavily dependent on Palestinian workers, was hit particularly hard because fewer Palestinians have been allowed in to Israel from the occupied West Bank. In addition, many construction sites were closed at the outset of the war and have been reopening slowly.
The survey was sent to 1,680 businesses and was conducted between Oct. 24-26.
