Unemployment bureau in Kiryat Gat
Photo: Tsafrir Abayov
March unemployment rates up to 6.9%
Unemployment rates add 1.2% after Central Bureau of Statistics applies new, more accurate calculation method at behest of OECD
The unemployment rate in Israel climbed to 6.9% during the month of March, with some 246,000 unemployed people in the labor force, the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) reported on Monday.
March's figures are 1.2% higher than the average rate for 2011, and represent a 0.4% increase from February, which noted a 6.5% unemployment rate.
Haredi Employment
Kobi Nahshoni
Negating predictions of shrinking Israeli workforce, ultra-Orthodox activists say haredi employment is on the rise
Beginning in January 2012, the Central Bureau of Statistics has followed the new calculation method, which brought the unemployment rate in Israel from 5.4% at the end of 2011 to a whopping 6.5%.
The new method considers regular and career soldiers as part of the employed labor force. According to the OECD standards, unemployed people must be over 15 years old and actively looking for a job.
Another significant change is the frequency of measurement: Under the new system, unemployment rates are reported every month instead of every three months, which significantly raises the number of respondents.
"In effect, the unemployment rate hasn't increased," said Director of the Labor Sector at the CBS Mark Feldman. "The monthly measurements show more fluctuations, so we are expecting more changes every month. We need to wait and see what the trend is over a longer period of time," he added.
The Bank of Israel commented on the increase in unemployment rate, stating that "The new survey method worsens Israel's standing by international comparison, but still positions it in a relatively good place compared with most developed countries."
