The average gross monthly salary of Israeli employees rose by 2% (in constant prices) in 2007 to NIS 7,767 from NIS 7,576 in 2006, the Central Bureau of Statistics reported today. Salary figures fluctuated sharply during last year: the average salary rose from NIS 7,711 in January to NIS 7,989 in June, then fell to NIS 7,498 in October, and rose sharply in the last two months of the year to NIS 8,260 in December.
The total number of Israeli employees rose to 2.72 million in 2007 from 2.6 million in 2006, while the total number of employees, including Palestinians and foreign workers rose to 2.81 million in 2007 from 2.67 million in 2006. There were 70,100 legal foreign workers and 18,800 Palestinian workers in Israel last year.
The average salary for all workers - Israelis, Palestinians, and foreign workers rose to NIS 7,645 in 2007 from NIS 7,466 in 2006.
A breakdown of average salaries by sector, showed that the highest average salary was in the R&D sub-sector of high-tech, at NIS 19,260 per month. Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) and Mekorot National Water Company employees earned an average salary of NIS 18,322 in 2007, unchanged from the year before. Banking, insurance, and finance employees were in third place, with an average salary of NIS 15,018 in 2007. Public administration employees were in fourth place with NIS 12,011.
The average salary in the business services sector had the highest increase in 2007, at 4.9% in constant prices, followed by construction at 3.4%, manufacturing at 2.7%, and community, social and personal services at 2%.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on March 6, 2008
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