Jerusalem Post

JERUSALEM (August 14) - The number of job seekers rose 3.7 percent in July (seasonally adjusted) to 186,402, up from June's 179,703, reaching the highest monthly level in the nation's history, the Labor and Social Affairs Ministry's Employment Service said yesterday.

In comparison to last July, the number skyrocketed by 12.8%, a sign of the economic stagnation.

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Citing the recent wave of layoffs, he said some 33,000 new people registered with Employment Service last month. They are people who have not signed up for employment assistance or unemployment benefits in the last year. Some 20,200 were newly fired workers, the largest number in a single month.

Meanwhile, the number of academic degree holders seeking work rose by 2.1%. Additionally, the number of people receiving supplementary income from the ministry increased 3.3% last month.

-- Rachel Gibson (rgibson@hotmail.com), August 14, 2001