The Manufacturers Association of Israel said in an interview with the Globes business news website Wednesday that rocket attacks on the western Negev city have cost area businesses some NIS 40-million over the past three years.
Some 5,000 people work in the 40 factories located in the rocket-battered city, but only 100 of those employees have left their jobs due to the attacks.
The findings of a survey now being conducted, however, are grim.
Sixty-four percent of the factories report they have lost customers due to the rocket fire. In addition, 60 percent say productivity is down due to the stress faced by the workers. Not surprisingly, 93 percent of the factories also suffer from absenteeism.
Both domestic and export sales have been affected by the terrorist activity. Thirty percent of the manufacturers report that their domestic sales had dropped over the past three years. Forty percent say export sales are down and 54 percent have lost customers as well as foreign market share.
A number of other factories have said they would leave, but can’t afford to. Real estate prices have plummeted by 80 percent, making it impossible for them to leave despite their desire to go.
What is bad for business, however, is good for the traumatized residents of Sderot; almost 5,000 workers still have their jobs as a result of the factories’ inability to bail out.
Some 5,000 people work in the 40 factories located in the rocket-battered city, but only 100 of those employees have left their jobs due to the attacks.
The findings of a survey now being conducted, however, are grim.
Sixty-four percent of the factories report they have lost customers due to the rocket fire. In addition, 60 percent say productivity is down due to the stress faced by the workers. Not surprisingly, 93 percent of the factories also suffer from absenteeism.
Both domestic and export sales have been affected by the terrorist activity. Thirty percent of the manufacturers report that their domestic sales had dropped over the past three years. Forty percent say export sales are down and 54 percent have lost customers as well as foreign market share.
A number of other factories have said they would leave, but can’t afford to. Real estate prices have plummeted by 80 percent, making it impossible for them to leave despite their desire to go.
What is bad for business, however, is good for the traumatized residents of Sderot; almost 5,000 workers still have their jobs as a result of the factories’ inability to bail out.