Employment Service, more women
Photo: Yaron Brener
Economic crisis: Women suffer more
Employment Service reports women constitute 60% of recent months' layoffs, with over 5,000 female job seekers with academic degrees. Report also shows 50% rise in dismissal of pregnant women
The number of women in the workplace has continued to rise in recent years, but it seems that with the current economic crisis, women are the first to suffer, and reportedly make up 60% of the market's layoffs in the past four months.
Data presented by the Employment Service's research department showed that 25,000 women fired from their jobs have turned to the Service's branches for help.
Unemployment
Yael Branovsky
Hundreds of workers are fired each day in Israel due to economic crisis. Employment Service Director General Yossi Farhi says government intervention is needed to solve situation
In the past four months, 80,000 job seekers have made their way to Employment Service offices, with 55,000 (70%) of them registering for unemployment allowance for the first time.
Of the 55,000 new jobs seekers, 31,000 are woman and 24,000 are men, with 5,451 of the woman and 3,618 of the men having academic degrees.
"Unfortunately, and despite all attempts for equality, women have been discriminated against for years in the job market, and the discrimination trend is also expressed in the layoffs," said Ran Melamed, assistant director-general of the Yadid association that grants legal aid to unemployed individuals.
"In the periphery and in the Arab sector the gaps are much bigger, since there, many women prefer to pass up having careers for the good of their home and children," he added.
Employment Service Director General Yossi Farhi expressed his fury with the blow to working women.
"The Employment Service, the Histadrut, the employers and the government should join forces to fight against the trend of discrimination against working women and women being fired," he said.
"Women are paying double the price since they receive lower wages and worse conditions than men, and now they are fired more. There is also a trend of firing women for fear of having to deal with maternity leave. Serious defense mechanisms should be created to protect the working women."
The report also showed a dramatic 50% rise in pregnant women's layoff, despite laws against such action.
Ofer Petersburg Benny Barak contributed to this report
