Rising Unemployment

This Year, Over 400,000 Israelis Suffer Unemployment

Does your job feed your family?

Going to work has always been seen as the panacea for poverty. If only poor people would go to work/find jobs/gain employment… then, the problem of poverty would be solved. But as is so often the case with “cure-all solutions,” this one may be true – but not completely.

In November 2012, Israel’s National Insurance Institute (NII or Bituach Leumi) revealed in its end of year report that Israel’s employment rate had risen – but so had its poverty rate. While it was certainly good news that Israel’s employment rate rose from 66.9% in 2000 to 72.1% in 2011 (an even higher rate than the OECD average of 70.8%), during the 2011 job market recovery, this increase failed to correlate with a corresponding decrease in poverty rates.  Specifically, the poverty level of working families rose slightly, with poor working families now making up a disproportionately high 64% of all poor families. In other words, while Israel’s 2011 poverty rate (19.9%) was only a bit higher than that of 2010 (19.8%), the number of those holding jobs whose family incomes lay beneath the poverty line had actually increased. 

 

Yad Eliezer's Solution

Increase earning potential

Yad Eliezer's goal is not only to provide for Israel's needy, but ultimately to break the cycle of poverty by enabling individuals and families to become self-sufficient and independent. By proving training and certification, Yad Eliezer gives people the tools to earn a living that can support a family, thereby giving them a life of dignity. 

Employees with a basic degree can earn as much as double the amount that they would have made without the degree. It is heartbreaking to see smart and motivated students held back because they cannot pay tuition.

Since 2004, the Yad Eliezer Job Training Program has provided men and women in Israel with the skills they need to become productive in a trade or profession. A high retention rate of over 90% attests to the careful screening, and to the persevering nature of the participants. The best way to give charity is to help the poor become self-sufficient. Investing in the training of determined participants will have far reaching impact on their lives, and the lives of their families.

Help men and women in Israel to step into their future – donate to the Yad Eliezer Job Training Program today!