Unemployment rate in Eilat skyrockets to 70% since end of February

5 April 2020, 5:28 pm

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The unemployment rate in Eilat has risen to nearly 70 percent, making it the city hardest hit economically by the coronavirus outbreak.

According to Employment Service data, 3.3% of Eilat residents were unemployed at the end of February, a figure that rose to 69.3% during the month of March.

Eilat, a popular resort city on the Red Sea, has a large number of hotels and other industries related to tourism, which have been particularly hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The cities with the next highest employment rates after Eilat were Beitar Illit and Nazareth, with 52.1% and 46.3% of workers out of jobs respectively.

As of this morning, 25% of the Israeli workforce was unemployed, with 1,050,000 out of work.