Israel Sees 5% Rise in Job Vacancies in June Surpassing Pre-Operation Roaring Lion Levels

In June, Israel experienced a significant 5% increase in job vacancies, rising from 138,700 in May to 145,700. This figure exceeded the 143,200 vacancies recorded in February, before the launch of Operation Roaring Lion. The vacancy rate as a percentage of total jobs in the economy also rose from 4.23% in May to 4.41% in June.

The high number of vacancies is attributed to the extensive reserve duty mobilization, which has left many positions typically filled by young workers open, as well as the ongoing ban on Palestinian labor entry. These findings were published by the Central Bureau of Statistics based on their monthly job vacancy survey. The survey's estimates are recalculated monthly using a statistical model, which means data cannot be directly compared across months.

The all-time peak for job vacancies was recorded in December 2022 at 153,300, surpassing the previous high during the post-COVID period in August and September 2022, which saw 151,500 vacancies. The elevated vacancy numbers during the pandemic were due to mismatches between workers' locations and available jobs. Since December, vacancies declined to pre-Operation Roaring Lion levels, indicating persistent challenges in filling positions.

Notably, there are over 14,000 vacancies for waiters, bartenders, and cooks, approximately 8,400 in construction, 4,600 for drivers, and 7,300 for kitchen and cleaning staff in institutions. This data underscores ongoing labor shortages in key sectors of the Israeli economy.