Bank Leumi chief economist Dr. Gil Bafman said he expected unemployment to continue rising, reaching 9 percent by year’s end. Bafman’s forecast means that 40,000 more jobs will be lost, bringing the total number of unemployed persons to 270,000.

The last official figures for unemployed persons showed is 229,000 out of work in the first quarter of 2009, or 7.6 percent of the labor force.(israelnationalnews.com June, 09)

The Labor Ministry reported Monday that eleven applicants are competing for every one job available in Israel. The ministry warned that by the end of the year the number is expected to rise to fourteen people for every one available job.

In addition, the report says that there are 60,000 newly unemployed workers as a result of the depression. In addition, there are 56 percent less jobs currently being offered in Israel.(israelnationalnews.com May, 09)

The number of people seeking food aid has risen by forty percent this year in advance of the Passover holiday, non-profit aid groups reported Tuesday. Eran Weintraub, director of the aid group Latet, warned that groups could need NIS 30 million to provide for families over the holiday.

Weintraub estimated that appeals for aid would spike later in the year, as thousands who lost their jobs in the beginning of the year begin to seek aid.

The number of people seeking food aid has risen by forty percent this year in advance of the Passover holiday, non-profit aid groups reported Tuesday. Eran Weintraub, director of the aid group Latet, warned that groups could need NIS 30 million to provide for families over the holiday.(israelnationalnews.com March, 09)

For the first time in 13 years, the number of unemployed Israelis has dropped below 200,000 people, constituting only 6.6% of the workforce. Some 44,000 people entered the work force over the last year, primarily due to rapid economic growth... According to Central Bureau of Statistics figures, the unemployment rate has been falling faster than expected, by a monthly rate of 0.1-0.2 percent a month...(israelnationalnews January 21, '08)

...The Bureau defines unemployed persons as citizens who are able and willing to work and are actively seeking employment through government employment bureau, manpower companies or independently, but who did not work for even one hour during the week of the survey... The data does therefore not include the majority of the country's destitute sectors - the chronically unemployed who are no longer looking for work, housewives and part-time employees. (ynet February 26,'07)

...70 percent of unemployed Israelis who were hired found only temporary jobs, mostly in the public sector, part-time work, and low-paying positions... (ynetnews)

700,000 jobs are part time or below minimum wage - unemployment 14% among those with only basic education (globes January, 08).

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