Ramallah - Saba:
The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics stated that the results of the labor force survey in the Gaza Strip for the fourth quarter of 2024 showed an increase in unemployment rates to approximately 68%, compared to approximately 45% in the third quarter of 2023.
The results of this survey also indicated a decline in the labor force participation rate, reaching approximately 30%, compared to 40% in the third quarter of 2023, i.e., before October 7, 2023.
The results also showed that the youth category (15-29 years) was significantly affected, with approximately three-quarters of young people (74%) no longer in education, training, or the labor market.
The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) added in a statement issued on Wednesday, on the occasion of Labor Day, that this impact was not limited to the Gaza Strip, but was also reflected in the West Bank, albeit to a lesser extent.
The Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip had a significant impact, as did its subsequent repercussions in the West Bank, including tightening the noose on the West Bank governorates, severing communication between them, and preventing workers from reaching work within the 1948 territories. All of these factors, among others, led to a paralyzed economic activity, which had a direct impact on the characteristics of the labor force in the West Bank.
The report indicated that the number of unemployed in the West Bank rose to 313,000 in 2024, compared to approximately 183,000 in 2023. Unemployment rates among individuals participating in the labor force in the West Bank also rose to approximately 31% in 2024, compared to approximately 18% in 2023. At the gender level, the unemployment rate for males in the West Bank reached 31.7%, compared to 30.1% for females in 2024.
| more of (International) |