عربي
Labour Force Survey, Q3-2023 before the war on Gaza Strip))
Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS)
About One Fourth of the Participants in the Labour Force in Palestine are Unemployed in the Third Quarter of 2023
About One Million Employed Persons in the 3rd quarter of 2023
The number of employed persons (excluding workers abroad) was about 1.160 million in the 3rd quarter of 2023; 868 thousand the number of employed persons from the West Bank, 292 thousand of employed persons from Gaza Strip.
Moreover, the number of employed persons in Israel during the 3rd quarter of 2023 was about 153 thousand employed persons. While the number of employed persons in Israeli settlements was about 25 thousands.
About two thirds of employed persons in Israel and Israeli Settlements was in Constructions activity, then employed persons in mining and Manufacturing activity, then in Commerce, Restaurants and Hotels activity.
The average daily wage for wage employees in Israel and Israeli settlements was about 298 NIS.
About One million employed Persons in the Local Market in the 3rd quarter of 2023
About 983 thousand of employed persons was in the local market, the number was about 697 thousand employed persons in the West Bank, compared to 286 thousand employed persons in Gaza Strip.
The average weekly working hours for wage employees in the West Bank was 45.3 hours per week compared to 39.6 hours in Gaza Strip. The average monthly working days was 23.3 working days in the West Bank compared to 22.6 working days in Gaza Strip.
7 out of 10 employed persons are wage employees
73% of employed persons are wage employees, 17% of employed persons are self-employed, 6% of employed persons are employers, and 4% are unpaid family members.
More than half of the wage employees in the private sector were hired without any employment contract.
The number of employed in the private sector in the local market reached about 778 thousand employed person; 576 thousand employed in the West Bank and 202 thousand employed in Gaza Strip,
56% of wage employees in the private sector were hired without any employment contract, and 30% of wage employees receive a contribution to their pension fund/end of service compensation. Moreover, 48% of wage female employees receive a paid maternity leave.
The government sector employs about 205 thousand employees. 121 thousand in the West Bank and about 84 thousand in Gaza Strip.
37% of wage employees in the private sector receive a monthly wage of less than the minimum wages (1,880 NIS) in Palestine
The percentage of wage employees in the private sector who receive a monthly wage less than the minimum wages in the West Bank was 12% in the 3rd quarter of 2023 (about 36 thousand employees). While it reached about 126 thousands in Gaza Strip with a percentage of about 93% of wage employees in the private during the same period.
It is worth mentioning that the Council of Ministers issued a decree stating that the minimum wage is to be (1,880 NIS) as of the beginning of 2022.
The average monthly wage for those who receive less than the minimum wage in Gaza Strip was 736 NIS, compared to 1,432 NIS in the West Bank.
One fourth of the labour force participants were unemployed in the 3rd quarter of 2023
The unemployment rate among labour force participants (15 years and above) in the 3rd quarter of 2023 was about 24%, while the total underutilization of labour was about 29%, according to the 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 45% in Gaza Strip compared to 13% in the West Bank.
The unemployment rate by sex reached 20% among males compared to 41% among females.
Unemployment Rate (ICLS 19th) by Region, Q1- 2022 – Q3-2023
The number of unemployed persons reached about 369 thousand; of which 240 thousand persons in Gaza Strip and 129 thousand persons in the West Bank.
The number of persons who are participated in the labour force reached 1.532 million persons; 1.001 million persons in the West Bank and 531 thousand persons in Gaza Strip. In addition, the participation rate in the labour force was about 44%, about 47% in the West Bank, and about 40% in Gaza Strip.
Among gender the participation rate in the labour force was about 71% for males compared to about 17% for females.
Within the same context, the total of labour underutilisation reached 457 thousand persons, as this number includes 32 thousand discouraged job seekers and 20 thousands in time-related underemployment.
Unemployment rate was the highest among youth graduates
About 47% is the unemployment rate among youth graduates (aged 19-29 years) who hold Associate Diploma Certificate and higher (30% in the West Bank compared to 73% in Gaza Strip).