Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1997, published 86th ILC session (1998)

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Israel (Ratification: 1970)

1. The Committee took note of the Government's report on application of the Convention in 1995 and of the information supplied in reply to its previous request. It notes that the rapid growth in employment already recorded during the previous period has continued in 1995 and has allowed a further decrease in the unemployment level which stood at 6.2 per cent of the active population in the first six months of 1996. The Committee notes that, in the Government's view, this unemployment rate amounts to full employment, although there are pockets of unemployment which it intends to reduce through vocational training measures and temporary employment projects. The Government considers furthermore that the high growth rate of the economy has been achieved by increasing the deficit in the balance of payments and cannot be maintained in future. With reference to its previous request, the Committee invites the Government to indicate in its next report how the measures taken in spheres such as budgetary, monetary and exchange rate policies and price, income and salary policies are contributing "within the framework of a coordinated economic and social policy" to pursuing the goal of full employment (on this matter, see the relevant questions of the report form under Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention).

2. The Committee notes that the extent of the various employment promotion programmes has been reduced as the employment situation has improved. Noting that assessment of the effectiveness of these programmes is in process, it requests the Government to supply with its next report the results of that evaluation, indicating any new measures taken or envisaged as a consequence.

3. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would describe the consultations of employers' and workers' representatives on the subject of employment policies which have taken place during the reporting period. It recalls in this respect that the consultations required by Article 3 of the Convention should not concern only the implementation of labour market policy measures but be extended to all aspects of economic and social policy which exert an influence on employment.