Israel Posts 148,000 July Job Vacancies as War Keeps Employment Below 61%
Updated
Updated · CTech · Aug 18
Israel Posts 148,000 July Job Vacancies as War Keeps Employment Below 61%
1 articles · Updated · CTech · Aug 18
Summary
148,000 job vacancies were recorded in July, up 1.5% from June, even as Israel’s employment rate edged only to 60.3% from 60.1% and stayed below pre-October 2023 levels above 61%.
Extended reserve duty, restrictions on Palestinian workers, young Israelis leaving abroad and a prolonged tourism slump are driving the shortage, leaving employers short of staff while labor-force participation remains depressed.
14,000 hospitality jobs, 8,700 construction roles and 5,400 driver openings remain hard to fill; the vacancies-to-job-seekers ratio stood at 0.81 in May, signaling a still-tight labor market.
More than 200 days of reserve service could cut the average reservist’s salary by 5% over five to 20 years, while over 100,000 fathers serving 290 to 320 days could face at least a 6% hit.
The data point to a wartime labor-market equilibrium rather than a full recovery, raising the risk that delayed careers, weaker participation and chronic hiring gaps become structural economic damage.