Israel is outpacing other developed countries in integrating women into its workforce, according to figures published recently by the International Monetary Fund and processed by Bank Leumi economists.
Comparing statistics from 2016 to 2008, when the global economic crisis struck, the rate of overall workforce participation in Israel increased by 1.3%, when in Germany and the Czech Republic the rate was slightly higher.
Additionally, the figures show an increased rate of women partaking in the workforce in most developed countries over that same time period, and a decreased rate of men in the workforce.
Israel showed the most significant increase of women in the workforce – around 3.2% – among developed countries, while leading countries such as Germany, Japan, Great Britain and France registered a lower rate of women joining the workforce. Other developed countries, such as the United States, showed a negative rate of women in the workforce.
"These figures underscore the strength of the local labor market in recent years," Bank Leumi said.
Meanwhile, the Leumi report also goes on to note the continued positive trend in the local tourism market across the first quarter of 2018.
Some 944,000 tourists entered Israel by air during the first quarter of the year – a 4% increase compared to the 908,000 tourists who visited the country during the previous quarter; and a 27% increase compared to the first quarter of 2017, when only around 733,000 tourists entered.
