Educational fields and labor market for persons aged 20-29 years in 2018
Business and Administration is the field where most students aged 20-29 years enroll whether for intermediate diploma or a bachelor’s degree (BA) in the West Bank and Gaza Strip through the past nine years.
For selected education fields in 2018, Business and administration field recorded the highest percentage among persons aged 20-29 years obtained an intermediate diploma or a bachelor’s degree by 27%, followed by teacher training and education sciences by 16%. This applies on the West Bank and Gaza Strip; that is the majority of them specialized also in business and administration followed by teacher training and education sciences.
In the past nine years the majority of them specialized also in business and administration.
Females are more likely than males in the enrollment of teacher training and education sciences field, while males are more likely to enroll in business and administration field among students aged 20-29 years with intermediate diploma or a bachelor’s degree
The percentage of females aged 20-29 years obtained an intermediate diploma or a bachelor’s degree in teacher training and education sciences field was (22%) compared to (7%) for males. However, the males for the same age group were more likely than females in Business and administration field; 32% for males compared to 23% for females. This applies on the West Bank and Gaza Strip; that is the majority of females specialized also in teacher training and education sciences, while males specialized on business and administration.
Field of education |
Palestine |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
||||||
Males |
Females |
Total |
Males |
Females |
Total |
Males |
Females |
Total |
|
Business and administration |
32.3 |
23.0 |
26.7 |
34.5 |
26.9 |
29.8 |
29.9 |
17.8 |
22.9 |
Teacher training and education sciences |
6.5 |
22.1 |
15.9 |
3.2 |
16.9 |
11.8 |
10.1 |
29.0 |
21.0 |
Health |
12.5 |
9.0 |
10.4 |
11.5 |
9.4 |
10.2 |
13.5 |
8.6 |
10.7 |
Humanities |
5.3 |
10.2 |
8.3 |
5.0 |
8.2 |
7.0 |
5.6 |
12.9 |
9.9 |
Social and behavioral sciences |
4.6 |
10.7 |
8.3 |
4.1 |
11.9 |
9.0 |
5.2 |
8.9 |
7.3 |
Engineering and engineering trades |
9.0 |
3.1 |
5.5 |
9.5 |
3.8 |
5.9 |
8.6 |
2.2 |
4.9 |
Computing |
5.5 |
3.9 |
4.5 |
6.2 |
5.2 |
5.6 |
4.7 |
2.1 |
3.2 |
Source: Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, 2019. Database of Labor Force Survey, 2018. Ramallah-Palestine |
In 2018 the highest unemployment rates among male graduates aged 20-29 years with an intermediate diploma or bachelor’s degree in Palestine were in the field of teacher training and education sciences by (51%) compared with the highest unemployment rates among male graduates in the West Bank for the same age group in the field of computing by (29%) and field of business and administration by (67%) among male graduates in Gaza Strip for the same age group.
In 2018, the highest unemployment rates among female graduates aged 20-29 years with an intermediate diploma or bachelor’s degree were in the field teacher training and education sciences by (81%) compared with the highest unemployment rates among female graduates in the West Bank for the same age group in the field of computing by (70%) and field of humanities by (95%) among female graduates in Gaza Strip for the same age group.
Clear Gap of unemployment rates among the West Bank and Gaza Strip for Selected Fields of Education
In 2018, the unemployment rate rose to 58% among graduates aged 20-29 years with an intermediate diploma or a bachelor’s degree in Palestine (40% in the West Bank and 77% in Gaza Strip). In 2017 the unemployment rate was 56% and became 54% in 2016 while in 2010, it was 45%.
Among selected education fields, the highest rates of unemployment among graduates aged 20-29 years with an intermediate diploma or a bachelor’s degree in Gaza Strip were in the field humanities by (85%), followed by social and behavioral sciences by (82%).
The highest unemployment rates in the West Bank for the same age group by the field of teacher training and education sciences by (61%), followed by social and behavioral sciences by (53%).
Field of education |
Palestine |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
||||||
Males |
Females |
Total |
Males |
Females |
Total |
Males |
Females |
Total |
|
Teacher training and education sciences |
50.6 |
80.8 |
74.9 |
17.8 |
68.9 |
61.0 |
62.5 |
87.3 |
81.9 |
Social and behavioral sciences |
39.5 |
77.6 |
67.1 |
16.1 |
66.3 |
53.3 |
62.1 |
90.7 |
82.3 |
Humanities |
32.2 |
82.5 |
66.9 |
8.6 |
60.0 |
40.3 |
55.3 |
95.0 |
84.7 |
Computing |
43.1 |
74.8 |
57.0 |
28.9 |
69.6 |
49.8 |
62.4 |
93.5 |
71.2 |
Business and administration |
39.3 |
69.2 |
52.6 |
18.9 |
55.3 |
35.6 |
67.3 |
91.0 |
77.3 |
Health |
38.4 |
59.7 |
48.8 |
20.8 |
39.8 |
30.5 |
55.3 |
82.9 |
68.1 |
Engineering and engineering trades |
36.2 |
57.6 |
43.0 |
20.0 |
48.3 |
30.7 |
56.1 |
81.0 |
61.8 |
Source: Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, 2019. Database of Labor Force Survey, 2018. Ramallah-Palestine |
In 2018, the highest period of unemployment for graduates aged (20-29) years in Palestine with an intermediate diploma or bachelor’s degree was in the life sciences field with 18 months. The lowest period was in personal services field and architecture and construction with 11 months.
Field of education |
Sex |
Total |
|
Males |
Females |
||
Life sciences |
10.0 |
18.7 |
18.1 |
Law |
16.0 |
22.0 |
17.9 |
Teacher training and education sciences |
16.8 |
17.7 |
17.6 |
Humanities |
11.0 |
18.0 |
17.0 |
Social and behavioral sciences |
16.4 |
16.9 |
16.8 |
Journalism and information |
16.5 |
16.5 |
16.5 |
Health |
14.3 |
16.7 |
15.7 |
Business and administration |
13.8 |
16.6 |
15.4 |
Mathematics and statistics |
18.0 |
13.7 |
15.2 |
Engineering and engineering trades |
13.7 |
10.7 |
12.4 |
Computing |
12.0 |
11.7 |
11.9 |
Architecture and construction |
10.5 |
13.0 |
11.3 |
Personal services |
9.0 |
13.0 |
11.0 |
*: Unemployed period means the period of being Unemployed since the individual was available for work or leaving last work. |
|||
Source: Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, 2019. Database of Labor Force Survey, 2018. Ramallah-Palestine |
According to labor force survey for the year 2018, the local market accommodated about 2 thousand job opportunities in 2018 for individuals (20-29 years) with an intermediate diploma or bachelor’s degree. In the 2018/2019 scholastic year, there were around 76 thousand applicants for the General Certificate Exam “Injaz”. Approximately 40 thousand students graduate annually from the Palestinian higher education institutions.