Report—1 in 4 Israelis Poor

February 1, 2010

by: Yael Branovsky, Ynetnews.com

The poverty rates among elderly people remained almost unchanged at 22.7%. The percentage of needy single parents dropped from 29.8% in 2007 to 28.8% in 2008, but poor families became poorer: The poverty depth rose by four points over the years—a development which may be attributed to the dismissal of the household’s only provider.

Welfare and Social Affairs Minister Isaac Herzog said that the Poverty Report “points to a direct link between going out to work and emerging from poverty. Despite the financial crisis, the higher participation in the labor market, which characterized the Arab sector in 2008, led to a drop in the number of poor families in the Arab sectors. However, the depth of poverty worsened significantly among single parents due to dismissals.”

Excerpts of an article by Yael Branovsky, Ynetnews.com