Unemployment and layoffs in the Israeli economy, especially after the September 11 attack, have severely hit English-speakers, says recruitment consultancy Marksman International Personnel director Nat Gordon, who specializes in placing such workers.
Marksman has been operating for 20 years among new immigrants from English-speaking countries, notably the US, Britain, South Africa, Canada and Australia.
Gordon said that the majority of Israelis are not aware of the problems besetting English-speakers, because it was easy for them to find a job in the past. But things have changed fundamentally since the September 11 terrorist attack in the US, due to the deep unemployment in Israel, which hurt the high-tech and tourism sectors in which many English-speakers were employed.
Gordon explains English-speakers were in great demand because most marketing operations to the US required English-speaking individuals with an Anglo-Saxon mentality. Technical writers were also required to be English speakers, and candidates for positions in marketing communications, secretarial and other position were also required to have perfect command of English.
Gordon says it is difficult to assess how many English-speakers have been laid off, but the figure is apparently in the thousands.
Gordon adds that 15 months ago, his consultancy could not find enough candidates for over 100 vacancies for English speakers, but now there are at least 500-600 candidates for each of the 10-15 vacancies.
Are English-speakers leaving the country because of the situation? Gordon says that most English-speaking immigrants come to Israel because they are Zionists, and are therefore making an effort to stay. “They come with their families, and many of them come for Zionist-religious reasons. For this reason, they’re unlikely to leave Israel.”
Published by Israel's Business Arena on 7 February, 2002