Rehovot Has Fairly Low Unemployment Rate of 4.9%

Jobseeker numbers down 0.9% in December. The western Galilee has the highest unemployment rate, at 13.9%.

"The number of jobseekers fell by 0.9% from 228,600 in November 2005 to 226,500 in December, Israel National Employment Service director general Esther Dominicini reported today. On the other hand, trend figures indicate a 0.2% rise in the number of unemployed. The figure is unchanged, compared with December 2004.
39% of jobseekers (87,000 persons) were unemployed over 270 consecutive days, forming the hard-core unemployed. On the other hand, the decline in new jobseekers continues to fall in trend figures, reaching 18,900 in December, compared with 19,100 in November, a decline of 0.8%.

The number of ordinary jobseekers, without income support, fell by 3.2%, or 2,412 persons, in December. A 2.3% drop, 377 persons, in the number of jobseekers with higher education degrees was also reported. The number of applicants for income support rose by 0.5%, or 705 persons.

The western Galilee has the highest unemployment rate, at 13.9%, followed by the Negev (13.5%), southern Israel (10%), Haifa (9.7%), Jezreel Valley (9.3%), upper Galilee (8.7%), and Samaria and the northern Sharon (7.5%).

Three areas have fairly low unemployment rates: Rehovot (4.9%); Jerusalem (4.6%); Tel Aviv (4.6%); and the Dan region and southern Sharon ( 4%)."

Source: Zeev Klein. Globes online. www.globes.co.il (23 January 2006) [FullText]