Over one-quarter of Israeli working men serving in reserves - survey
The Central Bureau of Statistics recorded a slight rise in the unemployment rate in May, with 240,000 Israelis aged 15 and over seeking work for at least the past 12 months
27.6% of working men are absent from their place of employment due to IDF reserve duty, according to the May report from the Central Bureau of Statistics.
The percentage of those temporarily absent from the whole workforce stands at 14.4 percent.
The data highlights the high correlation between the working population and those serving in the IDF and security forces, reflecting the price the economy pays for the extensive recruitment of reserves since the mobilization in October. This cost has been referred to more than once by the Treasury Ministry during recent discussions on the draft law and its economic implications.
According to the ministry data, the cost of a reserve soldier to the state treasury is double that of a regular soldier - about 48,000 shekels per month compared to 27,000 shekels.
The past month also saw a slight increase in the unemployment rate — from 3 percent to 3.3 percent over April. In total, approximately 240,000 people aged 15 and over have been looking for work for at least 12 months.