The slump was more severe than forecast by analysts, who had expected a drop of 2.1 percent amid the coronavirus pandemic, Poland’s PAP news agency reported.
Meanwhile, in month-on-month terms, Polish industrial production in March rose by 2.4 percent compared with February, according to the Central Statistical Office.
The latest batch of economic data came after the state-run statistics agency reported on Monday that employment in Polish companies increased 0.3 percent in March on average in year-on-year terms, while decreasing by 0.5 percent compared with a month earlier.
One in four employees recently surveyed in Poland by human resources firm Randstad said they were afraid of losing their job due to the coronavirus crisis.
A total of 9,737 people have tested positive for the COVID-19 disease in Poland, with 385 deaths from the coronavirus so far, officials said on Tuesday morning.
(gs/pk)
Source: PAP