Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS)

Press Release on the Results of the Labour Force Survey, in the West Bank Third Quarter (January – March, 2026)  Round

More than One-Quarter of Participants of Labour Force in the West Bank Became Unemployed in the 1st Quarter of 2026 

The number of employed persons from the West Bank in the 1st quarter of 2026 decreased by 36 thousands compared with the 4th quarter of 2025.

The number of employed persons from the West Bank (excluding those working abroad) decreased from about 736 thousand in the 4th quarter of 2025 to about 700 thousand in the 1st quarter of 2026, with a percentage of about 5%.

The number of employed persons in the local market in the West Bank decreased by about 31 thousands between the 4th quarter 2025 and the 1st quarter of 2026

The number of employed persons in the local market in the West Bank decreased from about 684 thousand employed persons in the 4th quarter of 2025 to 651 thousand employed persons in the 1st quarter of 2026.

Results showed that the decrease in the number of employed persons in the local market in the West Bank was due to the decrease in the number of employed persons in Construction activities, followed by Agriculture sector and Mining, Quarrying and Manufacturing.

The average daily wage for wage employees in the West Bank was 135.1 NIS, while the average weekly working hours was 41.0 hours per week. The average monthly working days was 22.4 working days.

About two-thirds of employed persons are wage employees

66.3% of employed persons are wage employees, 23.4% of employed persons are self-employed, 5.9% of employed persons are employers, and 4.4% are unpaid family members.

More than one-third of the wage employees in the private sector are hired without any employment contract.

40.6% of wage employees in the private sector are hired without any employment contract, and 37.2% of wage employees receive a contribution to their pension fund/end of service compensation. Moreover, 54.5% of wage female employees received a paid maternity leave.

14.5% of wage employees in the private sector receive a monthly wage of less than the minimum wage level (1,880 NIS) in the West Bank

The percentage of wage employees in the private sector who receive a monthly wage less than the minimum wage level in the West Bank was 14.5% in the 1st quarter of 2026 (about 37 thousand employees). 

It is worth mentioning that the Council of Ministers issued a decree stating that the minimum wage is to be (1,880 NIS) as of the beginning of 2022.

The average monthly wage for those who receive less than the minimum wage in the West Bank was 1,457 NIS.

 More than one quarter of the labour force participants were unemployed in the West Bank in the 1st quarter of 2026

The unemployment rate among labour force participants (15 years and above) in the 1st  quarter of 2026 was 29.5%, while the total underutilization of labour was about 32.3%. According to the International Labour Organization Standards (ICLS-19th), the unemployment rate among males in the West Bank reached 29.8%, compared to 28.5% for females.

Unemployment Rate (ICLS 19th) in the West Bank, Q1- 2023 – Q1-2026

The number of unemployed persons in the West Bank reached about 294 thousand in the 1st quarter of 2026 (29.5%) compared to about 280 thousand in the 4th quarter of 2025 (27.5%).

The number of participants in the labour force was 997 thousands in the 1st quarter 2026 compared to about 1,018 million in the  4th quarters of 2025.

Labor force participation rate among males in the West Bank reached 70.1% in the 1st quarter of 2026 compared to 71.5% in the 4th quarter of 2025. Also participation rate among females reached 17.5% in the 1st quarter 2026 compared to 18.6% in the 4th quarter of 2025.

Within the same context, the total of labour underutilization reached 330 thousand persons.

Unemployment rate was the highest among youth graduates with an intermediate diploma certificate and higher

About 41.3% is the unemployment rate among youth graduates (aged 19-29 years) with intermediate diploma certificate and higher in the West Bank; 31.7% among males compared to 49.2% among females. 

48 thousand employed individuals in Israel and Israeli settlements in the 1st quarter of 2026 

The number of employed persons from the West Bank in Israel and Israeli settlements was  about 48 thousand in the 1st quarter 2026 compared to 51 thousand in the 4th quarter of 2025, where the total number of employed persons in Israel was about 30 thousand in the 1st quarter 2026  compared to 31,400 in the 4th quarter of, while the number of workers in Israeli settlements reached 17,600 in the 1st quarter 2026 compared to 20,400 in the 4th quarter 2025.

The average daily wage for wage employees in Israel and Israeli settlements was 278.1 NIS in the 1st quarter of 2026, compared to 256.9 NIS in the 4th quarter of 2025.