West Bank employment rebounds after Oct. 7 drop, but wages, protection remain weak, PCBS data shows
The majority of Palestinians, 680,000, were employed in the local market, an increase of around 27,000 workers from the first quarter.
The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) has reported a rebound in employment in the West Bank following a significant drop in October 2023, with the workforce increasing to 733,000 in the second quarter of 2026. This growth is attributed primarily to gains in the commerce, restaurant, and hotel sectors, which suffered greatly due to the decline in tourism caused by the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
Despite this improvement, wages remain low, with the average daily wage at NIS 134.3, less than half of Israel's minimum daily wage. Additionally, there are concerns over the lack of employment contracts for many workers and limited access to pension benefits, particularly for women.
Brief written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
