Waiting at unemployment office
Photo: Yehonatan Tzur
Positive Trend
Central Bureau of Statistics data indicates steady decline in unemployment continues, as figures reach two-decade low; Finance Ministry warns trend may soon end
The bureau has also revealed that the employment rates for people between the ages of 25-64, was 71.2% in the second quarter which spans from April to June.
The number of people age 15 and older in the civilian workforce was 2.945 million workers and 174,000 jobless people.
A big change was not apparent in the character of the workforce in contrast with 2008’s first quarter.
Unemployed people are considered those who did not work for at least one hour in the determined week and actively looked for work in the four weeks prior by signing up at an unemployment office or personally turning to an employer and being capable of starting to work in the determined week if offered a fitting job.
The number of people with jobs in the second half of 2008 reached 2.771 million as opposed to 2.757 million in the first quarter of the year. There was an increase of 3.4% in comparison with the parallel period in 2007.
Male unemployment was 5.7% in contrast with last quarter’s 5.9% and the female unemployment rate was 6.2% as opposed to the previous quarter’s 6.7%.
Amongst those 25-64 years of age, the percentage of those unemployed decreased by 4.9% in comparison with the 5.3% seen last quarter.
The Central Bureau of Statistics calculates the data in accordance with findings attained in manpower surveys it conducts once every three months.