Haredi employee at hi-tech firm
The Advanced School of Technology, Jerusalem
Haredi employment in J'lem grows by 40 percent
Number of ultra-Orthodox workers in industry sector rises dramatically in last few years; most haredim employed in hi-tech
The number of ultra-Orthodox employed in the industry sector in Jerusalem has grown by 40 percent in the last two years, chairman of the Jerusalem branch at the Manufacturers Association of Israel (MAI), Ran Tuttnauer said.
Some 2,200 haredi men and women are currently employed in 300 factories across the capital, a figure representing a 500 percent rise over the last six years.
Tuttnauer added that an inspection conducted by the MAI in Jerusalem revealed that Orthodox are mainly employed as computer programmers at hi-tech factories, and that at most plants they comprise 2-10 percent of the workforce.
At 240 of the factories, haredim make up between 10-50 percent of the workers, while 250 factories do not employ Orthodox at all.
The MAI's inspection further showed that some factories had to make special preparations prior to hiring haredi workers, with regards to the dining arrangements and allocating a place for holding prayers. According to Tuttnauer, several companies in Jerusalem specialize in training haredim for work in town, especially in technological fields.
