The Results of the Labour Force Survey, in the West Bank Second Quarter (April – June, 2026) Round
Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS)
Press Release on the Results of the Labour Force Survey, in the West Bank Second Quarter (April – June, 2026) Round
More than One-Quarter of Participants of Labour Force in the West Bank Became Unemployed in the 2nd Quarter of 2026
The number of employed persons from the West Bank in the 2nd quarter of 2026 increased by 33 thousands compared with the 1st quarter of 2026.
The number of employed persons from the West Bank (excluding those working abroad) increased from about 700 thousand in the 1st quarter of 2026 to about 733 thousand in the 2nd quarter of 2026, with a percentage of about 4.6%.
The number of employed persons in the local market in the West Bank increased by about 27 thousands between the 2nd and the 1st quarter of 2026
The number of employed persons in the local market in the West Bank increased from about 653 thousand employed persons in the 1st quarter of 2026 to 680 thousand employed persons in the 2nd quarter of 2026.
Results showed that the increase in the number of employed persons in the local market in the West Bank was due to the increase in the number of employed persons in Commerce, Restaurants and Hotels, followed by Construction activities, then Manufacturing activities.
The average daily wage for wage employees in the West Bank was 134.3 NIS, while the average weekly working hours was 41.6 hours per week. The average monthly working days was 22.4 working days.
About two-thirds of employed persons are wage employees
66.1% of employed persons are wage employees, 23.4% of employed persons are self-employed, 6.0% of employed persons are employers, and 4.5% are unpaid family members.
More than one-third of the wage employees in the private sector are hired without any employment contract.
42.1% of wage employees in the private sector are hired without any employment contract, and 35.5% of wage employees receive a contribution to their pension fund/end of service compensation. Moreover, 49.8% of wage female employees received a paid maternity leave.
15.5% 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 15.5% in the 2nd quarter of 2026 (about 41 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 1,455 NIS.
More than one quarter of the labour force participants were unemployed in the West Bank in the 2nd quarter of 2026
The unemployment rate among labour force participants (15 years and above) in the 2nd quarter of 2026 was 27.9%, while the total underutilization of labour was about 29.9%. According to the International Labour Organization Standards (ICLS-19th), the unemployment rate among males in the West Bank reached 27.2%, compared to 30.5% for females.
Unemployment Rate (ICLS 19th) in the West Bank, Q1- 2023 – Q2-2026
The number of unemployed persons in the West Bank reached about 284 thousand in the 2nd quarter of 2026 (27.9%) compared to about 294 thousand in the 1st quarter of 2026 (29.5%).
The number of participants in the labour force was 1.018 million in the 2nd quarter 2026, the percent was 44.9% in the 2nd quarter of 2026 compared to 44.2% in the 1st quarter of 2026.
Labor force participation rate among males in the West Bank reached 71.0% in the 2nd quarter of 2026 compared to 70.1% in the 1st quarter of 2026. Also participation rate among females reached 17.9% in the 2nd quarter 2026 compared to 17.5% in the 1st quarter of 2025.
Within the same context, the total of labour underutilization reached 310 thousand persons.
Unemployment rate was the highest among youth graduates with an intermediate diploma certificate and higher
About 38.3% is the unemployment rate among youth graduates (aged 19-29 years) with intermediate diploma certificate and higher in the West Bank; 23.1% among males compared to 51.2% among females.
53 thousand employed individuals in Israel and Israeli settlements in the 2nd quarter of 2026
The number of employed persons from the West Bank in Israel and Israeli settlements was about 53 thousand in the 2nd quarter 2026 compared to 48 thousand in the 1st quarter of 2026, where the total number of employed persons in Israel was about 35 thousand in the 2nd quarter 2026 compared to 30 thousand in the 1st quarter of 2026, while the number of workers in Israeli settlements stayed at the same level about 17,600 in the same period.
The average daily wage for wage employees in Israel and Israeli settlements was 263.4 NIS in the 2nd quarter of 2026, compared to 287.1 NIS in the 1st quarter of 2026.