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| - Industrial production in the eurozone plummeted 17.1 percent in April, with factories hit hard by coronavirus lockdowns, official data showed on Friday. The monthly decline was significantly sharper than those seen at the end of 2008 and early 2009 during the global financial crisis, the EU's Eurostat data agency said in a statement. The dive in activity followed an 11.9 percent drop in March, when most of the 19 countries that use the single currency began shutdowns of everyday life to curb the spread of the virus. Export powerhouse Germany, which is Europe's biggest economy, saw industrial activity drop by a staggering 21 percent in April, Eurostat said. France, posted a fall of 20.3 percent in April, after a 16.4 percent drop in March. Slovakia, home to several major automobile plants, recorded the sharpest decline in the eurozone with a fall of 26.7 percent. For the 27 countries of the European Union, industrial production fell 17.3 percent in April, Eurostat said. clp-arp/dc/bmm
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