{
  "id": 329217,
  "title": "The omission that will cost the state tens of billions",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/07/28/the-omission-that-will-cost-the-state-tens-of-billions",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-07-28T13:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Jerusalem Post Tech & Start-Ups",
    "slug": "jerusalem-post-tech-start-ups",
    "url": "https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/tech-and-start-ups/article-903895"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The 25-year-old Dori Cohen recently lost his job as a software tester at a leading tech firm. His father, Avraham, 60, faced the same job loss three months earlier, as part of his company's decision to replace him with a cheaper junior using artificial intelligence. While Dori is optimistic and enrolled in courses to stay relevant, Avraham feels the struggle is far from isolated. The penetration of AI is challenging workers across all ages, but the transition is especially difficult for older adults. A 2025 labor market report predicts a 12% unemployment rate for those aged 50 and over by 2030. Workers aged 40 to 60 who don't update their skills risk facing prolonged unemployment and a forced exit from the workforce. The government's training system is ill-suited for older workers, with eligibility largely based on job-seeking status and training courses focused on career change rather than updating existing skills. The state spends only 0.07% of GDP on vocational training, compared to the OECD average of 0.11%, but the cost of older unemployed workers to the state is much higher. Training a single older worker costs between NIS 15,000 and NIS 20,000, while one meaningful training course for 50,000 older adults would cost about NIS 1 billion. Despite the proven success of such training, the government chooses not to invest. Other countries like Singapore provide training credits for citizens over 40, highlighting the missed opportunity in Israel.",
  "summary": "AI is pushing workers 50+ out of the job market. With the state refusing to invest in retraining, it will pay heavily in benefits and lost revenue.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}