According to figures released by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) Israel’s unemployment rate fell to 5.6% in January 2015, with more people working full time.
The number of employed increased 0.3% to 3.604 million, with 60.6% of those aged 15 and over having jobs, up from 60.5% in December. The percentage of people aged 15 and over in the workforce who were unemployed fell to 5.6% in January, from 5.7% in December.
The CBS figures indicate slight improvement in several labor market indicators. The employment rate, that is, the number of people employed as a percentage of the total population aged 15 and over rose to 60.6%, from 60.5% in December 2014.
The unemployment rate in the 25-64 age group fell to 4.8%, compared with 4.9% in December 2014. The percentage of people aged 25-64 participating in the workforce rose to 79.7%, from 79.6% in December 2014, and the employment rate in the 25-64 age group rose to 75.9%, from 75.7% in December 2014.
The percentage of those with jobs who generally worked full time was 77.9%, compared with 77.6% in December. Among men, this percentage rose to 86.7%, from 86.3% in December, and among women it rose to 68.1%, from 67.8% in December 2014.
