How Many Israelis Are in the Labour Force? 62.0% of Those Aged 15 and Over
62.0% of Israelis aged 15 and over were in the labour force in April 2026, on the Central Bureau of Statistics’ adjusted figures. Unemployment was 2.9%.
Israel’s labour force took in 62.0% of people aged 15 and over in April 2026, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics’ seasonally adjusted Labour Force Survey. In the same month the employment rate stood at 60.2%, and 2.9% of the labour force was unemployed. The Bureau publishes these figures as rates. The figures on this page do not include a count of persons.
| Figure | What it counts | Period |
|---|---|---|
| 62.0% | Persons aged 15 and over in the labour force, seasonally adjusted | April 2026 |
| 61.8% | Persons aged 15 and over in the labour force, original unadjusted figures | April 2026 |
| 60.2% | Employed persons as a share of all persons aged 15 and over, adjusted | April 2026 |
| 2.9% | Unemployed persons as a share of the labour force, adjusted | April 2026 |
| 39.3% | Labour force participation among Moslems aged 15 and over | 2021 |
| 67.7% | Labour force participation among Christians aged 15 and over | 2024 |
| 3,791.8 thousand to 3,905.9 thousand | Employee jobs held by Israeli workers, counted as jobs and not persons | Four consecutive reported months of 2024 |
Source: Central Bureau of Statistics. The figures come from the Labour Force Survey release for April 2026, the Moslem population release of July 2022, the Christmas 2025 release and the employee jobs series.
62.0% of people aged 15 and over were in the labour force
The Central Bureau of Statistics put labour force participation at 62.0% of persons aged 15 and over in April 2026, on seasonally adjusted figures. The month before, it was 61.9%. The same release also gives the original unadjusted series, and that series differs by 0.2 points.
- Seasonally adjusted: 62.0% in April 2026, against 61.9% the month before.
- Original unadjusted: 61.8% in April 2026, against 61.7% the month before.
The base is every person aged 15 and over. It has no upper age limit, so the rate is a share of the whole adult population and not only of people of working age. The survey is published monthly. These figures come from release 154/2026, and each one belongs to April 2026.
The employment rate stood at 60.2%, unemployment at 2.9%
The Central Bureau of Statistics recorded an employment rate of 60.2% in April 2026, unchanged on the month before. It also recorded unemployment at 2.9% of the labour force, up from 2.8%. These two rates sit on different denominators. The employment rate is a share of all persons aged 15 and over. Unemployment is a share of the labour force alone.
| Rate | Share of | April 2026 | Month before |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labour force participation | All persons aged 15 and over | 62.0% | 61.9% |
| Employment rate | All persons aged 15 and over | 60.2% | 60.2% |
| Unemployment rate | The labour force | 2.9% | 2.8% |
Source: Central Bureau of Statistics, Labour Force Survey, seasonally adjusted figures, release 154/2026.
The three rates fit together exactly. Participation of 62.0% less employment of 60.2% leaves 1.8 points of the adult population. Those 1.8 points, taken as a share of the 62.0%, give the published 2.9%. So 2.9% describes the labour force. It does not describe every Israeli aged 15 and over.
Moslem participation was 39.3% in 2021, Christian 67.7% in 2024
The Central Bureau of Statistics recorded labour force participation of 39.3% among Moslems aged 15 and over in 2021. It recorded 67.7% among Christians aged 15 and over in 2024. Each figure comes from a separate release covering a separate year, so the two do not form one series. Population figures for each group are on the pages on Moslems in Israel and Christians in Israel.
| Group, aged 15 and over | Participation | Year | Release |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moslems | 39.3% | 2021 | Eid al-Adha release, July 2022 |
| Christians | 67.7% | 2024 | Christmas 2025 release |
| Christian men | 69.9% | 2024 | Christmas 2025 release |
| Christian women | 66.0% | 2024 | Christmas 2025 release |
| Christian Arabs | 56.9% | 2024 | Christmas 2025 release |
Source: Central Bureau of Statistics.
The Christmas 2025 release breaks the Christian rate down by sex and gives a separate rate for Christian Arabs. Christian Arabs are part of the Christian total, so the categories overlap.
No labour force head count appears in these Bureau figures
The Labour Force Survey figures on this page are rates. Each is a share of the population aged 15 and over or a share of the labour force. None of them gives the number of persons in the labour force, the number employed or the number unemployed. A rate cannot be turned back into a count of persons without its population base, and that base is not among these figures.
The Central Bureau of Statistics publishes a separate monthly count of employee jobs held by Israeli workers. This series counts jobs, not persons: someone holding two jobs appears in it twice, so it is not a labour force count. The same series carries Israel’s average wage per employee job. Its grand totals for four consecutive reported months of 2024, in the order the table reports them, are:
- 3,905.9 thousand employee jobs
- 3,886.2 thousand employee jobs
- 3,791.8 thousand employee jobs
- 3,890.7 thousand employee jobs
Source: Central Bureau of Statistics, Employee Jobs and Average Wage per Employee Job, by Industry. This page dates these totals only as four consecutive reported months of 2024.
Which of these figures may not be combined?
The adjusted and original participation rates may not be mixed. The 62.0% and the 61.8% describe the same month in two different series.
- Unemployment of 2.9% is a share of the labour force. It may not be restated as a share of all Israelis aged 15 and over.
- The Moslem rate for 2021 and the Christian rate for 2024 come from different releases and different years. They are not one series.
- The employee jobs totals count jobs held by Israeli workers. They may not be read as a count of persons in the labour force.
- Every figure here is the Central Bureau of Statistics’ own published figure. Each is dated to its month or year.
Questions readers ask
What is the difference between the 62.0% and the 61.8%?
The Central Bureau of Statistics published 62.0% on seasonally adjusted figures and 61.8% on the original unadjusted figures, both for April 2026. They are two presentations of the same month.
Did labour force participation rise in April 2026?
The Central Bureau of Statistics recorded 62.0% in April 2026, against 61.9% the month before, on adjusted figures. On the original figures the move was from 61.7% to 61.8%.
Is 2.9% of all Israelis unemployed?
No. The Central Bureau of Statistics publishes 2.9% as a share of the labour force for April 2026. It is not a share of the whole population aged 15 and over.
What does the employment rate measure?
The Central Bureau of Statistics publishes the employment rate as the employed share of all persons aged 15 and over. It recorded 60.2% in April 2026, unchanged on the month before.
How often are these labour figures published?
The Central Bureau of Statistics publishes the Labour Force Survey monthly. The figures here come from release 154/2026, which covers April 2026.
What share of Christian women in Israel are in the labour force?
The Central Bureau of Statistics recorded 66.0% of Christian women aged 15 and over in the labour force in 2024. The rate for Christian men was 69.9%.
What is the labour force participation rate of Christian Arabs?
The Central Bureau of Statistics recorded 56.9% participation among Christian Arabs in 2024. This group sits inside the 67.7% figure for all Christians.
What share of Moslems in Israel are in the labour force?
The Central Bureau of Statistics recorded 39.3% of Moslems aged 15 and over in the labour force in 2021. The figure appears in its Eid al-Adha release of July 2022.
Can the Moslem and Christian participation rates be compared directly?
The Central Bureau of Statistics published the two rates in separate releases covering 2021 and 2024. They come from different years and are not one series.
How many employee jobs are there in Israel?
The Central Bureau of Statistics recorded between 3,791.8 thousand and 3,905.9 thousand employee jobs held by Israeli workers across four consecutive reported months of 2024. The count is of jobs, not persons.
Is the number of employee jobs the same as the number of workers?
No. The Central Bureau of Statistics counts employee jobs, so a person holding two jobs is counted twice.
Who publishes Israel’s labour force figures?
The Central Bureau of Statistics publishes them through its monthly Labour Force Survey. It also covers population groups in occasional media releases such as the Christmas and Eid al-Adha releases.
Sources
- Central Bureau of Statistics, 2025. Christmas 2025, Christians in Israel. Media release, 24 December 2025. https://www.cbs.gov.il/he/mediarelease/DocLib/2025/413/11_25_413e.pdf. Official or primary record.
- Central Bureau of Statistics. Employee Jobs and Average Wage per Employee Job, by Industry. Monthly series, 2024 data. cbs.gov.il. Official or primary record.
- Central Bureau of Statistics, 2026. Labour Force Survey, data for April 2026. Media release 154/2026, Labour Statistics. https://www.cbs.gov.il/he/mediarelease/DocLib/2026/154/20_26_154b.pdf. Official or primary record.
- Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, 2022. The Moslem Population in Israel: Data on the Occasion of Eid al-Adha (The Feast of the Sacrifice). Media release 217/2022, 6 July 2022. https://www.cbs.gov.il/he/mediarelease/DocLib/2022/217/11_22_217e.pdf. Official or primary record.
