The number of job seekers registered with the Israel National Employment Service (INES) in July totaled 204,500, representing a 1.7% increase compared with June.
INES figures published yesterday point to a further increase in the number of unemployed people aged 45 and upward, who accounted for 47.1% of the total unemployment count. For the sake of comparison, the proportion of people aged 45 and upward accounted for 43% of the total unemployment count in 2005. INES recently acknowledged the difficulty that older people have finding work in Israel, where the rate of unemployment for older people is one of the highest among Western countries.
According to INES sources, the problem stems from both the job seekers themselves, who are not always able to keep up with the pace of the labor market and the demand for computer literacy, and employers, who nearly always prefer younger candidates.
On the other hand, the number young job seekers qualifying for benefit fell, due to the introduction of new regulations by the Ministry of Finance, which have significantly limited young job seekers' eligibility for unemployment benefit.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on August 27, 2007
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