According to Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics, in 2012, the gap between the regular working class and Israel’s wealthy continued to grow. The CBS released a report on Tuesday, 2 Kislev 5774 in which it cites half of the nation’s workers earn 6,451 NIS monthly ($1,868) or less. This is a significant difference than the widely published statistic that the average national monthly salary is 9,149 NIS, the result of figuring in the high wage earners.
Bottom line, the 6,451 NIS figure provides a more accurate picture of the true life of most Israelis, a life that represents a growing number of working poor, couples who find their combined salaries are not sufficient to pay monthly bills.
The CBS report adds other interesting and eye-opening statistics:
· The bottom 10% of wage earners earn 1,346 NIS.
· The top 10% of wage earners earn 25,216 NIS.
· Women are still discriminated against in the workplace and earn much less than men in the same position.
· Men earn 51% more than women, earning 18% more per hour than women.
· The average man’s salary is 10,953 NIS while the average woman’s salary is 7,244 NIS.
· The average salary in the Jewish sector is 61% higher than the equivilent in the Arab sector, 9,721 NIS as opposed to 6,029 NIS.
The report has prompted the Knesset Finance Committee to call for an urgent session to address these alarming realities.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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One Response
If this is true there’s a lot of explaining to be done. The religious amount for only 10% of the nation and yet we are the ones being blamed over the high rate of poverty in this country. So Bnei Torah are now to leave Yeshivas so that they can earn a McDonalds salary to feed their kids! Wonderful! …and why are 40% of the “educated” secular Israelis making such low wages?!