BERLIN, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Many companies and industry sectors in Germany would react to the coronavirus crisis by cutting jobs, the German ifo Institute said on Monday.

The catering sector in Germany was worst hit, with 58 percent of companies laying off workers or not extending fixed-term contracts, according to the ifo Institute's business survey.

"An above-average number of layoffs are also being made" in Germany's important automotive with 39 percent as well as accommodation sector with 50 percent and manufacturer of leather, leather goods and footwear with 48 percent of companies, according to ifo.

"From now on, the crisis will have an impact on the German labor market," said Klaus Wohlrabe, head of surveys at ifo.

Legal, auditing, and tax consulting employees were "less threatened by dismissals," with 5 percent of employers planning layoffs, ifo noted.

With 3 percent in construction, 2 percent in real estate and zero percent in the pharmaceutical industry, some German industries were hardly affected by job cuts.

Holger Schaefer, senior economist for employment at the German Economic Institute (IW) told Xinhua on Monday, that "unemployment will rise significantly in the coming months, on the one hand because companies will have to lay off workers despite short-time work, on the other because they will hire fewer people.