Gov’t offers new incentives to promote haredi, Arab jobs

In the past five years, similar programs, costing NIS 123m. have helped some 3,500 haredim, mostly women, find employment.

By JONAH MANDEL
Haredim in hard hats 311 (photo credit: Dan Morgan)
Haredim in hard hats 311
(photo credit: Dan Morgan)
The Industry, Trade and Labor Ministry announced on Sunday a new initiative to promote employment, primarily in the Arab and haredi sectors.
Under the new plan, the ministry’s investment center will allocate NIS 100 million to help an estimated 2,200 people join the work force, with 1,300 of those targeted to be Arabs and haredim. The track will offer the money as incentives to employers, who will receive NIS 1,000 a month over 30 months for each new employee who meets to ministry’s criteria.
RELATED:Haredi populace set to reach 1m. by 2022, study showsEditorial: Changing the unsustainable“The swift growth of the haredi sector posts complex challenges, but also an opportunity to increase the income and improve the economic condition of this populace,” Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said.
“The ministry is implementing a number of programs to help integrate the haredi sector into the workforce, and I hope we can use this opportunity to strengthen the unity and social resilience of the State of Israel.”
Ben-Eliezer’s ministry is probably the most pragmatic of all government bodies intent on helping haredim who seek employment enter the work force. In the past five years, similar programs, costing NIS 123m. have helped some 3,500 haredim, mostly women, get jobs.
In May, Ben-Eliezer formed a panel of experts, including leading figures from within the haredi world, to join forces to bring as many haredim as possible into the Israeli workforce