Jobless Rate Hits 10.1% in Israel

JERUSALEM — Israel’s unemployment rate climbed to 10.1% in the second quarter, the highest figure in at least 15 years, the Central Bureau of Statistics reported today.

The bureau said about 165,000 Israelis older than 15, or 10.1% of the country’s work force, were jobless between April and June.

Among men, the unemployment rate was 8.7%, compared to 11.9% among women, the bureau said.

According to Finance Ministry projections cited in the Jerusalem Post today, unemployment rates will hover around 9% to 10% during the next five years.

The mass immigration of Soviet Jews is expected to pose a major problem for the job market. About 70,000 Soviet Jews have already arrived, and the number is expected to climb to 150,000 by the end of the year.