First time: Number of unemployed in Israel fell below the level before the Corona pandemic

Less than two years after the outbreak of the corona crisis in Israel, for the first time, the basic number of unemployed in Israel fell below the level that was on the eve of the spread of the plague. In the first half of January this year, there were only 148.3 thousand unemployed in Israel, which is 3.5% of the labor force. This is compared to 160,000 unemployed and 3.8% unemployment at the beginning of 2020.
The Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) reported on Monday that the broad unemployment rate, which includes the unemployed due to Corona-related causes, did not fall in the first half of January, compared to the second half of December, standing at 249,000 unemployed, which is 5.8% Of the labor force, as in the second half of December.Every December, the broad unemployment rate stood at 6%.
 The employment rate excluding temporarily absent from work all week for corona-related reasons stood at 61.3% compared to 60.9% in the second half of December. The complete cessation of unemployment benefits for corona unemployed who were on unpaid leave, the opening of the economy almost in full (excluding foreign tourism) and a certain increase in vocational training and retraining, led to a significant decrease in unemployment at the end of last year and early 2022.
At the beginning of 2022, there were a total of 6,618,000 people aged 15 and over in Israel who could work, according to international definitions, with only 64.1% of them in the labor force, which is 4,240,100 Israelis. 2,377,900 persons aged 15 and over, which is 35.9%, were not included in the labor force as they did not work and did not look for work in the first two weeks of January this year.
Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman said in reference to the data that "responsible policy requires correct and unpopular decisions. 'No-closures' and 'no-holds-barred' policies are proving themselves in economic growth and the growing decline in unemployment figures. We will continue to provide targeted support and assistance to those who need it, while investing significantly in measures that encourage employment. "