If x is the original amount of the startup workforce, then after 1999 they had:
[tex]x(1+0.30)=1.3x[/tex]workforce, and after 2001 they had:
[tex](x+0.30x)\cdot(1-0.30)=1.3x(0.7)=0.91x\text{.}[/tex]Therefore, the final amount of workforce is less than the one in 2001.
Answer: The workforce was reduced by 9%.