Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS)

 

Press Release on the Results of the Labour Force Survey

Second Quarter (April – June, 2022) Round

 

 

About One Fourth of the participants in the labour force in Palestine are unemployed in the Second quarter of 2022

 

The number of employed persons increased by 6 thousand in the 2^nd  quarter of 2022

The number of employed persons (excluding workers abroad) increased from about 1.108 million in the 1^st quarter of 2022 to about 1.114 million in the 2^nd quarter of 2022, by 0.5%. This increase came as a result of the increase in the number of employed persons in Gaza Strip by about 1% in the 2^nd quarter 2022 while the number of employed persons in the West Bank decreased by 0.6% in the same period.

 

The largest increase between the 1^st quarter and 2^nd quarter of 2022 was reported among employed persons in Israel the number increased by about 9 thousand.  The number of employed persons in Israel reached about 182 thousand employed persons in the 2^nd quarter of 2022 compared to about 173 thousand employed persons in the 1^st  quarter of 2022, while the number of employed persons in Israeli Settlements decreased from 31 thousand in the 1^st quarter 2022 to about 29 thousand in the 2^nd quarter 2022.

 

The number of workers in Israel and Israeli settlements increased in commerce and hotels by about 7 thousand employed persons then other services activity and agriculture activity it  increased by about one thousand employed persons for each of them, where as the number decreased  in manufacturing and construction activity by about one thousand for each of them, while the number remains at the same level of transports and mining activities during the two quarters.

 

The average daily wage for the wage employees in Israel and Israeli settlements was about 272 NIS in the 2^nd quarter of 2022 compared to 268 NIS in the 1^st quarter of 2022.

 

A decrease in the number of employed persons in the local market between the 1^st  quarter and the  2^nd quarter of 2022

The number of employed persons in the local market decreased from 904 thousand employed persons in the 1^st quarter of 2022 to 903 thousand employed persons in the 2^nd  quarter of 2022, it decreased by 0.6% in the West Bank while it increased by 1% in Gaza Strip during the same period.

 

The results showed that a decrease in the number of employed persons during the 2^nd quarter of 2022 in the construction activity followed by hotels and restaurant activities, then transports, storage commerce, while the number increased in other services[1], and manufacturing industry and mining activities and lastly the agriculture activity.

 

The average weekly working hours for wage employees in the West Bank was 41.7 hours per week compared to 37.3 hours in Gaza Strip. The average monthly working days was 22.5 working days in the West Bank compared to 22.6 working days in Gaza Strip.

 

8 out of 10 employed persons are wage employees

76% of employed persons are wage employees, 20% of employed persons are  self-employed and employers, and 4% are unpaid family members.

 

About two third of the wage employees in the private sector were hired without any employment contract.

 

65% of wage employees in the private sector were hired without any employment contract, and 24% of wage employees receive a contribution to a pension fund/end of service compensation. Moreover, 47% of wage female employees receive a paid maternity leave.

41% of wage employees in the private sector receive monthly wage less than the minimum wage (1,880 NIS) in Palestine

The percentage of wage employees in the private sector who receive a monthly wage less than the minimum wage in the West Bank was 20% in the 2^nd quarter of 2022 (about 54 thousand employees). The number of wage employees in the private sector who receive a monthly wage less than the minimum wage in Gaza Strip was about 104 thousand of about 88% of wage employees in the private during the same period.

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

 

The monthly minimum wage in Gaza Strip was (710 NIS) compared with (1,412 NIS) in the West Bank.

 

One fourth of the labour force participants was unemployed in the 2^nd    quarter of 2022

The unemployment rate among labour force participants (15 years and above) in the 2^nd   quarter of 2022 was about 24%, while the total underutilization of labour was about 32%, according to the revised International Labour Organization Standards (ICLS-19th).

 

There is still a large disparity in the unemployment rate between the West Bank and Gaza Strip, as this rate reached 44% in Gaza Strip compared to 14% in the West Bank. The unemployment rate by sex  reached 21% among males compared to 38% among females.

 

 

 

 

Unemployment Rate (ICLS 19^th) by Region, Q2- 2020 – Q2-2022

 

 

 

The number of unemployed persons reached about 357 thousand in the 2^nd quarter of 2022; of which 223 thousand persons in Gaza Strip and 134 thousand persons in the West Bank.

 

The participation rate in the labour force decreased slightly to 44% in the 2^nd quarter of 2022 compared with 45% in the 1^st  quarter of 2022; it decreased in Gaza Strip from 41% to 40%, while the percentage remains at the same level 47% in the West Bank during the same period.

 

The participation rate in the labour force among males was 70% in the 2^nd quarter of 2022 compared to 71% in the 1^st quarter of 2022, whereas the participation rate among females was 18% in the 2^nd quarter 2022 compared to 19% 1^st quarter 2022.

 

Within the same context, the total underutilisation reached 517 thousand persons, as this number includes 74 thousand discouraged job seekers and 18 thousand in time-related underemployment.

 

 

 

Unemployment rate was the highest among youth graduates

 

About 48% is the unemployment rate of youth graduates (19-29) years who hold Associate Diploma Certificate and higher; 29% in the West Bank compared to 72% in Gaza Strip.