A new report from Israel’s Employment Service says many of the workers displaced during the “War of the Iron Scream” were not experiencing their first crisis-related job loss. According to the report released Sunday, most of those pushed out of the labor market during that war had already been affected by at least one other emergency event in the previous six years, and many had been hit by three additional crises, including the COVID-19 lockdowns, “Iron Swords,” and “With All Against It.”
The report also says half of the women who lost work during the “War of the Iron Scream” had been displaced in at least three other emergency events over the same period. Overall, 73.1% of the women who were displaced in that war had also been affected by at least one other emergency in recent years. The service says this confirms that the repeatedly harmed groups were already known, women, young people, ultra-Orthodox workers, and people whose jobs depend on outdoor work, crowds, or face-to-face service, but the new research shows they are often the very same individuals each time.
The Employment Service says the Israeli labor market is getting better at recovering after shocks, with the return to normal taking about two years after the COVID lockdowns, around 12 months after “Iron Swords,” and roughly four months after “With All Against It.” It says the economy is now close to fully returning to normal in terms of the number of job seekers after the “War of the Iron Scream.”
The report identifies remote work as a protective factor during emergencies. The more likely a job can be done remotely, the lower the chance that a worker will be pushed out of the labor force during a crisis. Employment Service Director General Einav Mashash said existing safety nets should be reassessed and that policymakers should consider “advanced models of flexible furlough, combining part-time work and expanding the ability to work remotely.”
