Skopje, 8 August 2022 (MIA) - The growth of employees and exports in the technological and industrial development zones continues in July, according to an analysis of the Directorate for Technological Industrial Development Zones (DTIDZ). In one month alone, the companies in the zones opened almost 100 new jobs, which means that over 1,100 new jobs have opened since the beginning of the year, until the end of July. With this, the overall number of employees has grown in July, having reached 15,085, which is a 6% increase in comparison to July 2021, and a 14.5% increase in comparison to July 2020. According to the analysis, this trend is expected to continue, given this is the result of investments made last year, through which over 2,700 new jobs are expected to open over the next couple of years. "The growth trend since the start of this year continues in terms of imports and exports. In the first seven months of 2022, the TIDZ exports reached almost EUR 2 billion, the highest in the last four years. Exports have increased by 13% in the period between January-July of this year as opposed to last year, a 77% increase in regards to 2020, a 23% increase in regards to 2019 and a 47% increase in regards to 2018. In July alone, the TIDZ companies achieved a EUR 280 million in exports, a 25% increase in comparison to last July. The highest level of imports, EUR 1.83 billion, has been noted in the first seven months of this year, in comparison to the same period over the last four years. This is a 4% increase in comparison to the same time last year, and an 83% increase in comparison to 2020, a 21% increase in comparison to 2019 and a 64% increase in comparison to 2018. The monthly import in TIDZ in July has reached EUR 230 million, almost on the same level as July 2021. Ending with July, the net export is 9%," TIDZ says. Despite global political-economic occurrences, TIDZ expects such trends to continue until the end of the year, through which, according to estimates, exports can surpass last year's record level of EUR 3 billion.