Israel’s unemployment rate reached 6.9% in August, compared to 6.6% in July, according to figures released by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).  The CBS also updated the employment rate for the month of July from its first estimate of 6.5% to 6.6%. The unemployment rate among Israelis over the age of 25 increased from 5.6% to 5.8% and the workforce participation rate rose significantly – from 78.8% to 79.5%.

1.8 candidates competed for each job in the hotel and food industry. The demand-to-supply ration in the commercial and wholesale sector was 1:1, meaning the number of job seekers equaled the number of available jobs. The construction industry also registered a ratio of almost 1:1 between job seekers and available positions. The industrial sector recorded a high demand for drivers, with 3.2 candidates competing over each position. Among academics, two candidates competed for each job. Of the academic professions, the number of available jobs surpassed the number of job seekers in the engineering and architecture professions.