Ethiopian-Israeli Employment Gap Report 2026 — Full Data

Key Data (CBS + Adva Center, 2024-2025)

Employment

• Overall employment rate: 68% (vs. 79% among non-Haredi Jews)
• Men: 74% | Women: 62%
• Academic graduates working in their field: only 18%

Wages

• Average monthly wage in community: 8,200 ILS (vs. national average 12,400)
• Men's wage gap: 28% below national average
• Women's wage gap: 34% below national average
• Sectors with smaller gaps: hi-tech (avg. 14,800 ILS), nursing (10,200 ILS)

Education

• Matriculation rate: 52% (vs. 69% nationally)
• Bachelor's degree: 21% (vs. 37%)

Top Causes

1. Need to work during studies (61% of community students work, depressing grades)
2. Language barriers in advanced Hebrew academic content
3. Weaker professional networks — mentoring is critical
4. Hidden bias: 31% of employers showed preference for non-Ethiopian-sounding names (IDI 2023 study)

What You Can Do

• Tech-Career: 82% job placement rate → /en/rights/tech-career-bootcamp
• ENP scholarships and exam prep: 03-5368944
• Community mentoring: Ethiopian Leadership IL on LinkedIn

📊 Full report: adva.org.il