Haredi male workforce participation rises

Participation in the labor force by haredi (ultra-orthodox) men rose to 45% in 2011 from 39% in 2009, according to Bank of Israel analysis of Central Bureau of Statistics Labor Force Surveys. The figures appear in excerpts published today from the Bank of Israel Annual Report, which will be released at the end of March.

Haredi men's participation in the labor force is still far below the target of 63% set by the government for 2020.

Analysis of changes in employment patterns of haredim are complicated by the difficulty in defining the haredi community in official figures and surveys. A haredi household is defined as one in which a person studied or studies in a yeshiva. The problem is exacerbated because in response to pressure to encourage haredi men to work, some men are seeking a higher education at an institution that is not yeshiva.

The Bank of Israel says, "The increase in participation in the labor force by haredi communities, especially among haredi men, is one of the main goals in the socioeconomic agenda… Increasing haredi participation in the labor force is even more important in view of their increasing proportion of the working age population."

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on March 6, 2012

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