NII: Most Israelis Who Lost Jobs Haven’t Returned to Workforce

A majority – 69% – of those unemployed or put on unpaid leave due to the coronavirus pandemic have not returned to work, despite the reopening of the economy, numbers from the Bituach Leumi (National Insurance Institute) show.

According to the NII, there are 738,000 unemployment requests, out of 1.063 million people who were unemployed before and during the lockdown.

Of the 1.063 million unemployed, 920,000 submitted requests since the beginning of March, while just 143,000 had submitted requests prior to the outbreak.

Since the economy began reopening on April 19, an additional 116,000 unemployment requests have been submitted to the NII, while just 326,000 employees – 31% – have returned to the workforce.

Earlier this month, the Finance Ministry said that they will pay employers NIS 7,500 for each employee that they bring back from unpaid leave on June 1 and NIS 3,500 for every employee that they brought back on May 1.