The number of legal foreign workers in Israel fell from 89,300 in January 2003 to 64,400 in November 2003, a 28% decrease. The number of legal foreign workers has dropped by 37%, amounting to 32,000 workers, in less than two years, according to Central Bureau of Statistics figures compiled from employers’ reports to the National Insurance Institute.
In less than two years, the number of legal foreign construction workers has been cut 70% to only 13,300, compared with 33,900 at the beginning of 2002. The number of legal workers in agriculture declined by 22,400, 13%, in January-November 2003.
The average salary of legal foreign workers has fallen 9.7% to NIS 3,930, 48% less than the average wage in Israel, within a year. The average gross wage of foreign workers in October 2002 was NIS 4,306.
Minister of Labor and Social Welfare Zevulun Orlev announced today that he opposed extending visas for legal foreign workers beyond five years. Orlev today appealed the decision by the ministerial legislative committee, headed by Minister of Justice Joseph (Tomy) Lapid, to support a bill permitting the extension of visas for foreign workers to 7.5 years.
Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on January 8, 2004