Most of the jobs lost have been in the transport, restaurant and hospitality sector.
Stats from the Salvadoran Social Insurance Institute show that 42.444 people worked in the tourism sector in 2008. This number stands now at 41.064 workers, a 3.3% drop.
"Jobs in the food and beverage sector have adjusted to reality, as restaurants have now less customers", said Pedro Dalmau, president of the Restaurants Association of El Salvador, when interviewed by newspaper La Prensa Gráfica.
To attract clients and counteract the fall in sales, restaurants are offering additional entertainment options.
The crisis in El Salvador has pressured the gastronomic industry to be more creative in the way it attracts clients. Though establishments have experienced drops in sales between 10 and 15%, clients have returned demanding more, and they now request entertainment in addition to good food.