Employment Service warns of widening gaps in Israel’s labor market
Israel’s Employment Service said Sunday that jobseekers in December held steady at about 161,700, roughly 3.6% of the labor force, a level similar to the pre-COVID and pre-war period. Beneath the headline stability, the report highlights widening labor-market gaps.
Academics face weak demand, with about seven jobs per ten jobseekers, while construction and industry suffer acute shortages, with nearly three vacancies per jobseeker.
The divide is also geographic: Rahat, Umm al-Fahm, Acre, and Afula show the highest rates, while Ra’anana, Kfar Saba, and Ramat Hasharon remain among the lowest.
Despite the economy’s resilience, the Employment Service said the mismatch is sideling skilled workers even as critical infrastructure sectors lack labor.
Kan.org.il is the Hebrew news website of the The Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation
