Palestinian unemployment almost doubles due to Israel-Gaza war

The unemployment rate for Palestinians will almost double in the fourth quarter of this year with the Israel-Gaza war continuing for more than two months, according to a UN agency.

The jobless rate in the Palestinian territories will reach 46.1 per cent in the last three months of 2023, compared to 24.4 per cent in the same quarter of 2022, according to the latest projections by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS).

At least 66 per cent of jobs in Gaza have been lost since the war erupted on October 7, worsening the already devastating economic situation in the enclave, the report said, in an upward revision of earlier estimates. That loss amounts to 192,000 jobs.

“As the intensity of the conflict spreads to southern Gaza, job losses are expected to grow further,” it said.

In the occupied West Bank, where continuing hostilities are also increasingly hurting economic conditions, employment has fallen by 32 per cent since October 7, which amounts to 276,000 jobs, the data showed.

About 468,000 jobs are estimated to have been lost in the Gaza Strip and West Bank as of November 30, compared to an earlier estimate of 390,000. That total translates into daily labour income losses of $20.5 million.

“The Palestinians of Gaza are in the midst of a humanitarian catastrophe of epic proportions,” Ruba Jaradat, regional director for Arab States at the ILO, said.

“The repercussions on the lives and livelihoods of affected communities are beyond anything seen in the Occupied Palestinian Territory before. The economic, social and development impact also has grave cascading implications for the labour market, not only in Gaza but also in the West Bank.”

The impact of the Israel-Gaza war is unprecedented compared to previous hostilities in the enclave, unleashing colossal destruction on lives and livelihoods.

The effects of the conflict have spilt over into the West Bank’s economy through tightening movement restrictions, closure of the Israeli labour market to Palestinian workers and disruptions to supply chain networks.

Israel continues to bombard the enclave of 2.3 million people, destroying infrastructure and killing residents.

Almost 20,000 Palestinians – mostly women and children – have been killed in Israeli strikes since the start of the conflict.