Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2005, published 95th ILC session (2006)

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

1. The Committee notes the information and the detailed statistical data contained in the Government’s report received in December 2004 and September 2005. It also takes note of the information contained in the document issued by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Employment, Employer’s survey: Demand for Workers in the business sector - 2nd Quarter/2005. According to this document, the positive trend in demands for workers accelerated and there was a significant improvement in other indicators in the job market. The unemployment rate decreased from 10.1 per cent in 2001 to 9.1 in the second quarter of 2005. Analysis of the second quarter of 2005 also reveals that employers are increasingly employing workers for longer periods. Improvement in the job market is also reflected in reports of employers concerning the difficulties they are experiencing filling vacancies in certain areas. The Committee requests the Government to provide, in its next report, detailed information on full- and part-time employment disaggregated data by age and gender, and other data on the situation, level and terms of employment and underemployment, so that it can examine the employment policy measures implemented in the country (Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention). The Committee reiterates its interest in information on how measures taken to promote employment operate within a "framework of a coordinated economic and social policy" (Article 2, paragraph (a)). In this respect, it would appreciate if the Government could also indicate how the key elements of monetary and fiscal policies contribute to employment objectives.

2. As regards the evaluation of the impact of the reform of the Employment Service raised in the 2003 direct request, the Government indicates that the relevant data are not yet available. The Committee hopes the Government will provide, in its next report, information on the various programmes implemented by the Employment Service and their impact on employment promotion.

3. Participation of the social partners. The Committee asks the Government to update, in its next report, information on consultations with the social partners which have taken place on the subject of employment policies, as requested by Article 3 of the Convention, by giving examples of the opinions expressed and the manner in which they were taken into account.