About 364 thousand unemployed Individuals in Palestine during 2017
Unemployment in Palestine was 27.7% in 2017; in the West Bank was 17.9%, while it was 43.9% in Gaza Strip. The unemployment rate was for females 47.8% in 2017 and the rate was for men 22.5% in 2017.
The number of unemployed in Palestine reached 364 thousand in 2017; 146 thousand in the West Bank and 218 thousand in Gaza Strip. Participation of men in the labour force is about four times higher than the participation of women The results showed that labour force participation rate in Palestine for individuals aged 15 years and was 45.3% in 2017; 70.9% for males compared with 19.0% for females.The participation rate in the West Bank was 45.3% compared with 45.1% in Gaza Strip.
666 thousand of employed are wage employees
The number of wage employees in Palestine amounted to 666 thousand, of whom 333 thousand employed in the West Bank and 221 thousand employed in Gaza Strip; while 92 thousand employed in Israel and 20 thousand employed in Israeli settlements. While the number of wage employees in the private sector in Palestine was 351 thousand, distributed as 231 thousand in the West Bank, and 120 thousand in Gaza Strip.
The Private Sector is the dominant employer in Palestine
The percentage of wage employees in the private sector was 52.7% in 2017, while the percentage of wage employees in Israel and the Israel settlements was 16.8%, and 30.5% in the public sector.
Regarding wage employees more than half of the employees work in the private sector ; 52.0% in the West Bank compared with 54.3% in Gaza Strip, and 22.9% in the public sector in the West Bank and 45.7% in Gaza Strip While 25.1% work in Israel and Israeli settlements from the west Bank.
One fourth of wage employees in the private sector work in technical and specialized occupations
About 23.6% of wage employees work as professionals or technicians in Palestine; 14.4% for males and 67.6% for females. In addition, 17.0% of wage employees in Palestine work in craft and related trade worker; 20.0% for males and 2.3% for females.
Low average real wages in the private sector
The average daily real wage (base year: 2010) in the private sector in Palestine was about 71 NIS in 2017, the real wage in the Gaza Strip was 44 NIS, compared with about 84 NIS in the West Bank (wage employee in Israel and settlements are excluded).Transportation, Storage and Communication sector in the private sector recorded the highest average daily real wage at 106 NIS in the West Bank, followed by construction sector with 96 NIS in the West Bank while Services sector in the private sector recorded the highest average daily real wage at 71 NIS in Gaza Strip, followed by Construction sector with 42 NIS, while the agriculture sector recorded the lowest average daily wage at 65 NIS in the West Bank and 24 NIS in Gaza Strip.
About 36% of wage employees in the private sector received less than the minimum wage (1,450 NIS) in Palestine.
In the West Bank, 16.2% of wage employees in the private sector received less than minimum monthly wage about 37,500 wage employees with an average of monthly wage by 1,079 NIS.
In Gaza Strip, the percentage of wage employees in the private sector who received less than minimum monthly wage was 74.0% of 88,800 wage employees with an average of monthly wage 731 NIS.
The average actual weekly work hours for wage employees in Palestine was 42 hours; 40 hours for wage employees in the public sector, 43 hours for wage employees in the private sector.
About one fifth of wage employees received retirement benefits
About 21.8% of wage employees received retirement or end of service benefits, and 21.8% received paid annual leave, 21.0% received paid annual sick leave and 35.0% of wage employees females received paid maternity leave in the year 2017.
More than one fourth of wage employees in the private sector have work contract
25.4% of wage employees in the private sector have work contract in Palestine; 26.2% in the West Bank and 23.9% in Gaza Strip in the year 2017.
About one fifth of wage employees in the private sector are affiliated to labour or professional unions
17.4% of wage employees in Palestine were affiliated to labour or professional union; 12.4% in the West Bank and 29.6% in Gaza Strip in the year 2017.
