Gaza's unemployment rate in Q4, 2024 reaches 68 pct: statistics

RAMALLAH/GAZA, April 30 (Xinhua) -- The unemployment rate in the Gaza Strip surged to 68 percent in the fourth quarter of 2024, up from around 45 percent in the pre-war third quarter of 2023, according to statistics released on Wednesday.

The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) reported a decline in the labor force participation rate in Gaza, which dropped to 30 percent from 40 percent before the outbreak of the ongoing conflict on Oct. 7, 2023.

"Youth between the ages of 15 and 29 have been particularly affected, with about 74 percent of young people no longer engaged in education, training, or the labor market," the PCBS said.

While Gaza faces severe economic collapse, the West Bank has also been affected, albeit to a lesser extent. The tightening of restrictions, including the disruption of communication between cities and limitations on access to work in Israel, has caused a slowdown in economic activity, leading to a significant rise in unemployment, it said.

Unemployment among the labor force in the West Bank rose to 31 percent in 2024, up from 18 percent in the previous year. According to the PCBS survey, the unemployment rate for males reached 31.7 percent, while for females, it stood at 30.1 percent in 2024.

Gaza, home to over 2 million people, has been under Israeli blockade for more than 18 years and has suffered extensive damage due to Israeli continued military operations.

Meanwhile, according to the Gaza Civil Defense, at least 23 Palestinians were killed in a series of Israeli airstrikes targeting different areas across the Gaza Strip.

In a statement, the Gaza-based health authorities said the Palestinian death toll has reached 2,308 since the resumption of Israeli hostilities on March 18. The total number of fatalities since the conflict began on Oct. 7, 2023, now stands at 52,400. ■