Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS)

Issued a special press release for the students who sit for  the General Secondary School Certification Examinations "Tawjihi" of the academic year 2016/2017 .

Educational fields and labor market for persons aged 20-29 years in 2016.

Business and Administration is the field where most students aged 20-29 years enroll whether for intermediate diploma or a bachelor’s degree (BA) through the past seven years.

In 2016, persons aged 20-29 years obtained an intermediate diploma or bachelor’s degree were specialized in the following fields of education:

Business and administration (25%), teacher training and education sciences (15%), health (11%), humanities (10%), and social and behavioral sciences (9%), other fields (30%).

In the past seven years the majority of them majored also in business and administration.

Percentage Distribution for Persons (20-29) years in Palestine with an intermediate diploma or bachelor’s degree by field of education and Sex in 2016

 An increase in unemployment rate among persons aged 20-29 years with an intermediate diploma or bachelor's degree

In 2016, the unemployment rate rose to 54% among graduates aged 20-29 years with a bachelor’s degree or an intermediate diploma in Palestine (42% in the West Bank and 67% in Gaza Strip). In 2015 and 2013 the unemployment rate was 52% while in 2010, it was 45%.

The highest unemployment rate among females aged 20-29 years with an intermediate diploma or bachelor's degree was in Journalism and information (87%) compared with males in Life sciences (75%)

In 2016 the highest unemployment rates among male graduates aged 20-29 years with an intermediate diploma or bachelor’s degree in Palestine were in the following fields of education:

Life sciences (75%), mathematics and statistics (46%), teacher training and education sciences (45%), humanities (44%) and journalism and information (41%).

In 2016, the highest unemployment rates among female graduates aged 20-29 years with an intermediate diploma or bachelor’s degree were in the following fields of education:

Journalism and information (87%), social and behavioral sciences (79%), teacher training and education sciences (78%), computing (73%) and mathematics and statistics (71%).

Unemployment rate for Persons (20-29) years in Palestine with an intermediate diploma or bachelor’s degree by field of education and Sex in 2016

The highest rates of unemployment among graduates aged 20-29 years with a bachelor’s degree or an intermediate diploma in Gaza Strip were in the following fields of education:

Training and education sciences (76%), social and behavioral sciences (73%), humanities (72%), mathematics and statistics (71%) and life sciences (71%).

The highest unemployment rates in the West Bank for the same age group by fields of education were as follows:

Life sciences (61%), training and education science (60%), social and behavioral sciences (59%), mathematics and statistics (47%) and journalism and information (47%).

Graduates need 9-17 months before their first labor chance

In 2016, the highest period of unemployment for graduates aged (20-29) years in Palestine with an intermediate diploma or bachelor’s degree was in the Computing Field, being 17 months. The lowest period was in Architecture and construction with 9 months.

Period of unemployment in months for graduates (20-29) years in Palestine with an intermediate diploma or bachelor’s degree by field of education and sex in 2016

In the 2016/2017 scholastic year, there were around 72 thousand applicants for the General Certificate Exam “Injaz”. Approximately 40 thousand students graduate annually from Palestinian higher education institutions. The local market accommodates 8,000 job opportunities for individuals (20-29 years).