RAMALLAH, April 28, 2011 (WAFA) – Marking the occasion of Labor Day, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics said that unemployment rate in the Palestinian Territory reached 24% (23% for males and 27% for females) during 2010.
Unemployment rate in the West Bank was 17% (17% for males and 20% for females) compared with 38% in Gaza Strip (36% for males and 48% for females).
The participation rate in the labor force of persons aged 15 years and over in the Palestinian Territory reached 41% distributed as 67% for males and 15% for females. On the level of the West bank, the participation rate reached 44%, thereof 70% for males compared to 17% for females. Regarding Gaza Strip, about 36% of persons in the same age group participated in the labor force during 2010 distributed as 62% for males and 10% for females.
The number of wage employees in the Palestinian Territory amounted to 502,000 of whom 275,000 work in the West Bank and 153,000 work in Gaza Strip; while 65,000 work in Israel and 9,000 in Israeli settlement.
About 50% of wage employees in the Palestinian Territory work in the private sector compared with 36% work in the public sector; while the percentage of workers in Israel and Israeli settlements reached 15%.
Regarding wage employees in the West Bank, more than half of these employees work in the private sector (53%) compared with 26.0% in the public sector and 21% work in Israel and Israeli settlements. The public sector was the largest employer in Gaza Strip with 58% compared with 42% in the private sector.
About 22% of wage employees are poor of whom 17% in the West Bank and 33% in Gaza Strip.
About 34% of wage employees work as professionals or technicians in the Palestinian Territory; distributed as 30% in the West Bank and 43% in Gaza Strip. In addition, 14% of wage employees in the Palestinian Territory work in craft occupations distributed as 18% in the West Bank and 6% in Gaza Strip.
About 15% of wage employees in the Palestinian Territory received vocational training distributed as 16% in the West Bank and 13% in Gaza Strip.
The average daily real wage in the Palestinian Territory reached 71 Israeli shekels while it reached 73 shekels for males compared with 60 shekels for females.
Transport and communication activity in the private sector recorded the highest average daily wage at 107 shekels in the West Bank compared to the service activity in Gaza Strip at 74 shekels. The agriculture sector recorded the lowest average daily wage at 57 shekels in the West Bank and 24 shekels in Gaza Strip.
The average work week in hours in the Palestinian Territory reached 42 hours distributed as 41 hours for employed persons in the public sector, 43 hours in the private.
Regarding work related benefits, about 25% of wage employees receive retirement or end of service benefits; while 27% receive paid annual leave and 27% receive paid annual sick leave. In addition, 53% of female wage employees receive paid maternity leave. More than 90% of wage employees in the public sector receive most of work related benefits and privileges such as sick leave, annual leave, maternity leave.
About 30% of wage employees in the private sector have work contract; 29% in the West Bank and 35% in Gaza Strip.
About 20% of wage employees in the Palestinian Territory were affiliated to labor or professional union, distributed as 20% in the West Bank and 18% in Gaza Strip.
M.A.
