It's only down because people have finished there unemployment BENIFITS which they have paid in for years and they deserve them .,what happens now to them now!!!!!!!!!!!! They cannot find any decent work for people over 50 plus ,maybe they can become waiters / waitresses where the owners pay minimum wage taken out from the tips ( which is against the law or SHOULD BE AGAISNST THE LAW) ON PAPER EVERYTHING LOOKS JUST GREAT!!!!!!!!!1

around in cadillacs. Wages in Israel are low because they can be. Israel is not a closed shop and so wages are very low. The only ones who may be making a living are government workers as they hardly work and are off most of the time. After a 25yr stint they are on pension for life. You will find out very soon that that will become unsustainable. In the interim your kids are running to the malls of america selling piss water. I had my laugh for the day. Now on to serious things like the Springer show.

and that you are only looking at the micro-economic view. Our unemployment rate is really down, it isn't something that appears just on paper. Please do study the issue and in doing so you will understand what I mean. Additionally seriously consider looking at what is happening in Europe where many nations have more than 20% unemployment.

Some of you chronic complainers should realize the grass is NOT greener in most other countries.

YOU CAN CALL IT AS YOU WANT BUT A BIG PART OF THE WORKING PEOPLE IS VERY POORLY PAYED AND THE WORK CONDITIONS ARE 100 YEARS BACK. THEY DON`T CALL THIS UNEMPLOYEMENT BUT IS QUIET THE SAME.

which is why the unemployment rate is low. But even if you are working, the money that you make will not be enough to live with your self-respect and dignity as a human being.

Do the "large number of people who don't work and not looking for a job" include Olim chadashim, unemployed for years since arrival?

Dear Tani Goldstein, thanks for your article, but the information that Israel has the lowest unemployment rate of all western countries is WRONG. I think Europe is also a part of the western world. And some countries like Austria, Liechtenstein, Norway and especially SWITZERLAND have lower unemployment rates than Israel. Switzerland has a rate of only 3 percent! This success is only possible because we Swiss aren't in the EU...!