Despite the financial crisis in Israel and the rest of the world, the average salary in Israel rose 0.7 percent in the first quarter of 2009, in comparison to the first quarter of 2008, government officials reported Monday. Overall, the average salary was NIS 8,160 ($2,040). The sharpest salary increase was in the transportation industry, where the average salary jumped by four percent. In the banking and finance industry, the average salary dropped by 3.2 percent.
While average income increased, the number of jobs available continued to drop. There were 0.8 percent fewer jobs available in the first quarter of 2009 than in the final quarter of 2008. The highest decrease was in the hospitality and food services industry, which saw a 4.5 percent decrease in positions compared to late 2008.
The number of jobs available in the health industry continued to rise, going up by one percent from late 2008 to early 2009.