A new initiative is calling on designing a “Sheirut Leumi” (National Service) for unemployed adults under the banner “community service for adults”. The draft has been handed to Minister of Welfare & Social Services Yitzchak Herzog and Minister of Industry & Trade Eli Yishai by the “Yedid” (Friend) organization, hoping it will be adopted by the ministers as a government-sponsored bill.

Adults over the age of 50 who are unemployed would receive 50% of the monthly minimum wage salary in return for public service in addition to and not in place of unemployment benefits.

Yedid, based in Haifa, has extensive experience in assisting people over 50 seeking employment, explain too many people with so much to offer are finding themselves without any real employment prospects.

Yedid officials are now proposing anyone of 50 finding himself/herself unemployed over a year would qualify for the new national service program.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)