New statistics indicate that after years of growth, the rising percentage of Chareidi men in the workforce has been halted and even begun to decreased, Channel 2 News correspondent Yair Sherki reported.
In 2002, the percentage of chareidi men working was only 35.5 percent, and since then, the figure has risen steadily.
In 2016, a record was recorded with 51.7 percent, but in 2017 declined to 50.3 percent of Chareidim employed.
It should be noted that in two years, 2020, the government target of working chareidi men was set at 63 percent. Currently, the figure is 13 percent below the target.
What is the explanation? Sherki quotes Dr. Gilad Malach of the Israel Democracy Institute, who claims that a number of changes took place in 2016, including an increase in funding for Avreichim and child allowances, as well as the return of income support and subsidization in daycare centers helping working women.
However, this should be clarified because some of the mentioned benefits existed in past years, such as in 2012, and the increase in the number of working chareidi men was maintained.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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7 Responses
This would be disturbing even if there was some way of verifying that there was a corresponding increase the percentage of Chareidi men who were shteiiging 24×7 in lieu of earning a parnassah but there is no such evidence. Given the overall welfare dependency of such a large percentage of the population, that also happens to be the fastest growing segment of the population, the numbers don’t work in the long term (aka a declining number of economically productive members of the workforce supporting via their tax payments a rapidly growing population that is not part of the workforce and consuming a larger percentage of public funds)
Increasing welfare leads to less productivity. When will Socialists learn?
Godal,
They don’t have to be learning 24/7 for it to be worth it.
If their main focus is learning it’s fine.
If they entirety of all Jewish men living in Israel today would be learning full time, it still wouldn’t be enough.
It seems as if YWN is sad that the numbers are going down. If a Chareidi man has found the means to support his family while shteiging in kollel, good for him!
Obviously, that lifestyle isn’t for everyone, but if more people are learning that’s a reason to celebrate.
There are also reports of an increase in enrollment in Chareidi colleges and other types of professional training. Being that many of these men are not currently working, we should be seeing an increase in Chareidi participation in the workforce in the coming years.
Why should they work? The government gives them welfare money.
Many have learned that there is an international route for schnorrers. Some make as much as $100,000.00 Dollars a year (or more) as a schnorrer. They travel for 6 months schnorring and spend the other 6 months spending the money they accumulated. Los Angeles to Seattle to Florida to Chicago to Cleveland to Lakewood and other parts of New Jersey to Queens to Five Towns to Far Rockaway to other parts of the east coast to Toronto to Australia, etc. etc. There are a few who are just too busy to work because they’re schnorring. They give the real “needy people” a bad name.
When someone comes to your door and asks for tzedoko, speak to the person and try to verify if he/she is in real need or if schnorring is his/her profession. Also check to see if they have a valid Certificate from your local Vaad and if the dates are current. That alone will not verify that the person is collecting for a legitimate cause or is just schnorring to enrich himself/herself and/or their families. Remember that there are truly needy people and struggling institutions in and around your own community. They should get your 1st Tzedoko Dollars.
What a shanda.