Social Affairs Minister Yitzchak Herzog on Wednesday expressed growing concerns over the rapidly rising unemployment in Israel.

Herzog reminded officials that 20,000 people were dropped from the workforce in January, and that number appears to continue climbing. The January figure represents a 60% increase in jobless as compared to a year earlier, with Herzog reporting 75,000 Israelis have filed for unemployment benefits and at the current pace, nationwide unemployment is expected to climb to 7.5%.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)