PERCENTAGE OF UNEMPLOYED
OUT OF THE CIVILIAN LABOUR FORCE
PERCENTAGE OF UNEMPLOYED,
OUT OF THE CIVILIAN LABOUR FORCE IN ISRAEL(1)
12
Percentages
10
8
6
4
2
0
1995
1996 1997
1998
1999 2000
2001
Total
(1)
2002
2003 2004
Men
2005
2006 2007
2008
Women
The rate for men is out of all men in the civilian labour force,
and the rate for women is out of all women in the civilian labour force.
PERCENTAGE OF UNEMPLOYED – INTERNATIONAL COMPARISON
2008
12
8
6
4
2
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Spain
France
Portugal
Greece
Germany
Italy
Ireland
Israel
Canada
United States
United Kingdom
Czech Republic
Australia
Japan
Denmark
South Korea
0
Norway
Percentages
10
Description of the indicator
This indicator presents the number of unemployed persons as a percentage of the civilian
labour force in a given year, and the percentage of each gender that is unemployed.
Relevance to sustainable development
An increase in the number of the unemployed increases the risk of poverty and of social
exclusion within the country. A high percentage of unemployed persons can reflect a state of
instability, since employment is – for the majority of the population –the main source of
income and the main means for dealing with poverty. Nevertheless, in many cases,
employment alone does not ensure emergence from the cycle of poverty. Therefore, an
analysis of this indicator also necessitates an analysis of additional economic and social
indicators such as expenditure on food, education indicators, indicators concerning
accessibility of services, etc. The goals of sustainable development emphasize an aspiration
to equality and full employment of the entire population, especially among the more
vulnerable population groups (for example, full employment of women, alongside full
employment of men). These goals can be achieved by matching the employees to the
economy's needs, by balancing flexibility and job security, and by creating incentives for the
population to look for and to find employment.
Selected findings
 In 2008, the unemployment rate in Israel was 6.1%. This was the lowest unemployment
rate in Israel since 1987.
 The percentage of unemployed men in 2008 was 5.7%, out of all men in the labour force,
and the percentage of unemployed women was 6.5% of all women in the labour force.
 The 2008 unemployment rate in Israel was similar to that of developed countries such as
Canada, Ireland and the United States.
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