Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS)

On the occasion of the International Workers' Day,  H.E. Dr. Ola Awad, President of PCBS, presents the current status of the Palestinian labour force in 2022

367 thousand unemployed persons in Palestine

Unemployed persons in Palestine decreased to 367 thousand in 2022 compared to 372 thousand in 2021, about 24% of the labour force participants compared with 26% in 2021, due to the rise in the labour force participation rate to 45% compared with 43% in 2021.  Unemployment rate decreased in both the West Bank and Gaza strip it was about 13% and 45% respectively compared with about 16% and 47% in 2021.

The total labour underutilization decreased from about 34% in 2021 to 31% (500 thousand persons) in 2022, including 56 thousand discouraged jobseekers and 22 thousand in time-related underemployment.

Unemployment Rate among Labour Force Participants (15 years and above) by Region, 2015-2022

Hebron then Jenin Governorates in the West Bank and Dier Al-Balah in Gaza Strip have recorded the highest unemployment rate

In the West Bank, Hebron and Jenin Governorates recorded the highest unemployment rate in 2022 with a percentage of about 17%, followed by Bethlehem Governorate about 15%, while Jerusalem Governorate recorded the lowest unemployment rate with a percentage of about 3%. In Gaza Strip, Dier Al-Balah Governorate recorded the highest unemployment rate of about 55% followed by Khan Yunis Governorate with a percentage of about 49%, while North Gaza Governorate recorded the lowest unemployment rate of about 38%.

More than one million employed persons, and the private sector is the main employer

The number of employed persons in Palestine reached 1,133 million; 655 thousand in the West Bank, 285 thousand in Gaza Strip and 193 thousand in Israel and Israeli settlements. There are about 862 thousand wage employees in Palestine (449 thousand of them in the West Bank, 228 thousand in Gaza Strip, 156 thousand in Israel and 29 thousand in the Israeli settlements).

About 54% of wage employees in Palestine are working in the private sector, 327 thousand in the West Bank and 140 thousand in Gaza Strip, compared with about 24% employed persons in the public sector, and 22% of wage employees are working in Israel and Israeli Settlements. Thus, about 29% of wage employees from the West Bank are working in Israel and Israeli settlements.

One fourth of wage employees in the private sector work in Elementary Occupation

About 24% of wage employees in the private sector work in elementary occupations and professionals or technicians in Palestine; with a percentage of 27% for males and 8% for females in elementary occupations. In addition about  15% for males and 68% for females of wage employees work in professionals or technicians occupation .

Average of real wages in the private sector

The real average daily wage (base year= 2018) in the private sector was about 93 NIS in Palestine; about 38 NIS in Gaza Strip and about 117 NIS in the West Bank (Wage employees in Israel and Israeli settlements are excluded).

The constructions activity in the private sector recorded the highest average of real daily wage of 135 NIS in the West Bank and 38 NIS in Gaza Strip, followed by services activity with about 128 NIS in the West Bank and 69 NIS in Gaza Strip. While the agriculture activity recorded the lowest average real daily wage at 89 NIS in the West Bank and 22 NIS in Gaza Strip.

In the same context, the average actual weekly work hours for wage employees in Palestine was 41 hours; 39 hours for wage employees in the public sector, and 43 weekly work hours for wage employees in the private sector.

Average of Real Wage in NIS for Wage Employees in the Private Sector by Region, 2015-2022

40% of wage employees receive less than the minimum monthly wage (1,880 NIS) in Palestine.

The number of wage employees in the private sector who received less than the minimum monthly wage (NIS 1,880) reached about 172 thousand; out of which 56 thousand wage employees in the West Bank (about 19% of the total number of wage employees in the private sector in the West Bank) with a monthly average wage of NIS 1,421 compared to 116 thousand wage employees in Gaza Strip (about 89% of the total number of wage employees in the private sector in Gaza Strip) with a monthly average wage of NIS 697.

Less than one third of the private sector’s wage employees receive benefits

About 28% of the private sector's wage employees receive benefits (retirement/end-of-service gratuity, paid annual leave and paid sick leave). Thus, the number of wage employees in the private sector who had written unlimited contract was 83 thousand employed persons, 90 thousand employed persons in the private sector have temporally contract, and about 294 thousand employed persons with no contract. However, about 46% of wage female employees working in the private sector got a paid maternity leave.