"We already missed the adults. We wanted to see if there is a change among the young - and the conclusion is harsh"
A new study by the Aaron Institute at Reichman University reveals that despite billions of shekels invested in integrating ultra-Orthodox men into the workforce, employment rates remain low and wage gaps have widened. While ultra-Orthodox women have surged to 82% employment, ultra-Orthodox men are mainly integrated into low-quality jobs.
A new study by the Aaron Institute for Economic Policy at Reichman University examines the effectiveness of government investment in integrating ultra-Orthodox men into the labor market. While the employment rate of ultra-Orthodox women jumped from 69% to 82% over the past decade, men have stagnated: the employment rate rose from 48% in 2014 to 56% in 2023, but fell back to 54% in 2024. The average monthly salary of an ultra-Orthodox man is 10,600 shekels, compared to over 21,000 shekels for a non-ultra-Orthodox Jewish man—a gap of about 50%. The researchers focused on the 30-34 age group, which was supposed to be the main beneficiary of the budgets. Despite an investment of about 1.7 billion shekels in making higher education accessible, most indicators showed no significant improvement. The only bright spot is a jump in the share of hi-tech employees from 3% to 11%. Itzik Crombie, one of the study's authors, warns: "At this rate, within 15-20 years we will reach the GDP of Bangladesh." Dr. Hila Axelrod adds that men are mainly integrated into non-quality employment, widening the gaps. The researchers call for a strategic plan linking education, vocational training, and employment.