Mre than 12,300 catering sector workers have lost their jobs in the third quarter.

A total of 462 caterers wound up during the third quarter, and 12,311 workers lost their jobs as a result, leading to an HK$2.32 billion decline quarter on quarter in the total revenue in the industry, according to a government report on the services sector.

Bars and restaurants were the ones hit hardest, the 'Quarterly Supplement to Statistical Digest of the Services Sector,' shows.

There were 18,286 caterers in first quarter, and this increased to 18,480 in the second quarter. However, the number dropped to 18,018 in the third quarter amid the social turmoil, albeit 57 more than that in the third quarter of last year.

Meanwhile, the number of retail shops also dropped by 976 from last year to 63,194 in the third quarter, with the number of staff falling by 6,124 to 266,991. The total sales fell HK$19.8 billion for the three months as compared with last year.