Unemployment rate fell to 3.6% - A new slump

New unemployment slump: In May 2019, theune mployment rate fell to 3.6% of those aged 15 and over in the labor force, compared with 3.8% in April. This is the lowest unemployment rate in at least 40 years - although changes over the years in measuring unemployment do not allow a simple comparison of the data.

The previous slump in the unemployment rate, 3.7%, was measured in January and March 2018. The unemployment rate in Israel is low not only historically, but also internationally.
In contrast to the improvement in the unemployment data, there was a certain decline in the participation rate in the labor force. This rate dropped from 63.8% in April to 63.3% in May.
In the main working age groups, 25-64 years, the rate of unemployed persons fell from 3.3% in April to 3.2% in May. In January 2018, the rate of unemployed persons at these ages was even lower - 3.1%. In this group too, the rate of participation in the labor force declined from 80.6% to 80.3%. In the last 18 months, the rate of participation in the labor force has grown to 81% on several occasions, but since February it has been on a downward trend.