Steep Decline in Number of Job Seekers as 216,000 Israelis Return to Work

With Israel’s economy returning to full activity following Operation Roaring Lion, approximately 216,000 workers have rejoined the workforce over the past two months, the Employment Service announced on the morning of Sunday, June 14. As a result, the number of job seekers stood at only about 180,000 at the end of May.

The decline was evident across every city with a population exceeding 40,000 residents, with an average decrease of roughly 43%, though smaller declines were recorded in Arab and peripheral communities. The cities of Rahat and Umm al-Fahm again topped the list of municipalities with the highest rates of job seekers, while Bnei Brak posted an especially low rate of 2.3%, on par with economically strong cities such as Kfar Saba, Ra’anana, and Ramat Hasharon.

The most significant declines were recorded among women, young adults, and the haredi community, alongside notable decreases in occupations involving public gatherings, outdoor work, institutional activities, commerce, and local services; professions that can be performed remotely, including high-tech roles, saw only minimal change. Employment Service Director-General Inbal Mashash said, “The Israeli labor market is proving once again that it knows how to recover from crises. The return to routine is not the finish line—it is the starting point.”

(INN/VFI News)

Dear Lord, we give You thanks for the resilience You have woven into the people of Israel, who rise and rebuild even in the aftermath of war. We praise You for the many thousands returning to their work and providing for their families, and we ask that You continue to bless the labor of their hands. We pray for those still seeking employment, especially in struggling communities, that You would open doors and meet every need. We ask that You sustain the reservists and their loved ones who have sacrificed so much, that they would never lack for provision, in Yeshua’s Name.