عربي
Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS)
Press Release on the Results of the Labour Force Survey
Third Quarter (July – September, 2022) Round
About One Fourth of the participants in the labour force in Palestine are unemployed in the Third quarter of 2022
The number of employed persons increased by 37 thousand in the 3rd quarter of 2022
The number of employed persons (excluding workers abroad) increased from about 1.114 million in the 2nd quarter of 2022 to about 1.151 million in the 3rd quarter of 2022, by 3.3%. This increase came as a result of the increase in the number of employed persons from the West Bank by 3.6% in the 3rd quarter 2022, also the number of employed persons from Gaza Strip increased by 2.4% in the same period.
Decreasing in the number between the 2nd quarter and 3rd quarter of 2022 for employed persons in Israel the number decreased by about 11 thousand. The number of employed persons in Israel reached about 171 thousand employed persons in the 33d quarter of 2022 compared to about 182 thousand employed persons in the 2nd quarter of 2022, also the number of employed persons in Israeli Settlements decreased from about 29 thousand in the 2nd quarter 2022 to about 27 thousand in the 3rd quarter 2022.
The number of workers in Israel and Israeli settlements increased in constructions by about 14 thousand employed persons, while the number decreased other activities, it decreased in services and other activity1 by 15 thousand, then commerce and hotels activity it increased by about 6 thousand employed persons, where as the number decreased in transports by about 5 thousand employed persons, agriculture activity decreased by about one thousand, while the number remains at the same level of manufacturing and mining activities during the two quarters.
The average daily wage for the wage employees in Israel and Israeli settlements was about 284 NIS in the 3rd quarter of 2022 compared to 272 NIS in the 2nd quarter of 2022.
An increase in the number of employed persons in the local market between the 2nd quarter and the 3rd quarter of 2022
The number of employed persons in the local market increased from 903 thousand employed persons in the 2nd quarter of 2022 to 953 thousand employed persons in the 3rd quarter of 2022, it increased by 7.1% in the West Bank while it increased by 1.8% in Gaza Strip during the same period.
The results showed that an increase in the number of employed persons during the 3rd quarter of 2022 in the commerce hotels and restaurant activities followed by other services[1], then constructions activity, then transports and storage, while the number decreased in manufacturing industry and mining activities and the agriculture activity.
The average weekly working hours for wage employees in the West Bank was 44.1 hours per week compared to 38.0 hours in Gaza Strip. The average monthly working days was 22.6 working days in the West Bank compared to 22.3 working days in Gaza Strip.
8 out of 10 employed persons are wage employees
77% of employed persons are wage employees, 20% of employed persons are self-employed and employers, and 3% are unpaid family members.
About two third of the wage employees in the private sector were hired without any employment contract.
62% of wage employees in the private sector were hired without any employment contract, and 27% of wage employees receive a contribution to a pension fund/end of service compensation. Moreover, 53% of wage female employees receive a paid maternity leave.
40% 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 19% in the 3rd quarter of 2022 (about 55 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 117 thousand of about 90% 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 (705 NIS) compared with (1,461 NIS) in the West Bank.
One fourth of the labour force participants was unemployed in the 3rd quarter of 2022
The unemployment rate among labour force participants (15 years and above) in the 3rd quarter of 2022 was about 25%, while the total underutilization of labour was about 31%, 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 47% in Gaza Strip compared to 13% in the West Bank. The unemployment rate by sex reached 20% among males compared to 43% among females.
Unemployment Rate (ICLS 19th) by Region, Q2- 2020 – Q3-2022
The number of unemployed persons reached about 378 thousand in the 3rd quarter of 2022; of which 253 thousand persons in Gaza Strip and 125 thousand persons in the West Bank.
The participation rate in the labour force increased slightly to 46% in the 3rd quarter of 2022 compared with 44% in the 2nd quarter of 2022; it increased in Gaza Strip from 40% to 42%, in the West Bank it increased from 47% to 48% at the same period.
The participation rate in the labour force among males was 72% in the 3rd quarter of 2022 compared to 70% in the 2nd quarter of 2022, whereas the participation rate among females was 19% in the 3rd quarter 2022 compared to 18% in the 2nd quarter 2022.
Within the same context, the total underutilisation reached 498 thousand persons, as this number includes 48 thousand discouraged job seekers and 17 thousand in time-related underemployment.
Unemployment rate was the highest among youth graduates
About 50% is the unemployment rate of youth graduates (19-29) years who hold Associate Diploma Certificate and higher; 32% in the West Bank compared to 75% in Gaza Strip.
[1] Includes: Public Administration and Defense; compulsory social security, Education, Human health activities, Social work activities, creative, arts and entertainment activities, Libraries, archives, museums and other cultural activities, Sports activities and amusement and recreation activities, activities of membership organizations, other personal service activities, activities of households as employers of domestic personnel and activities of extraterritorial organizations and bodies