November 11, 2003
The gross average salary in Israel experienced another fall in August with a drop of 3 percent from July to rest at NIS 6,968, according to figures released Wednesday by the Central Bureau of Statistics. July's gross average salary for Israelis stood at NIS 7,188.
When workers from the West Bank, Gaza Strip and overseas are factored in, the average wage falls to NIS 6,864 in August, as opposed to NIS 7,074 in July.
For Israelis only, the annualized rate of decline in fixed prices is 3.6%.
There were 2.316 million salaried positions in Israel in August, which climbs to 2.395 million when it includes workers from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and foreign workers.
In August, the average wage of Israel's 66,300 legal foreign workers stood at NIS 4,068 per month.
The Central Bureau of Statistics points out that the data in recent months does not follow the usual cyclical pattern, resulting in inconsistency. The month of June has been characterized, in previous years, by a boost from recovery payments in the public sector. But this year, the treasury postponed the payment as part of its sweeping economic program.
Other factors skewing the pattern include withheld pay from strikers in May and June, public sector wage cuts averaging 4 percent, and the tax reform, the Centra Bureau of Statistics says. Well over half - 66.8 percent - of Israel's salaried workers made more than the average salary. Among this group alone, the average wage stood at NIS 9,271 in August.
Another 26.2 percent of Israel's salaried workers, or 607,300 people, learned less than the average wage. In this group, the average wage was NIS 1,971 a month.