Economy could contract by 5.9%-7.2% this year, due to the coronavirus pandemic; ministry forecasts budget deficit of 13%-14.2% of GDP

Central Bureau of Statistics says in first half of June the official unemployment rate was 5.2%; national employment service puts number of jobless around 20%

Osnat Mark condemns criticism of Netanyahu by protesters decrying government's handling of economy during the virus crisis

Employment Service reports 1,593 newly unemployed since Thursday; data shows 847,968 people jobless, of whom 576,164 are on unpaid leave, with unemployment at 21%

With PM under fire for failing to take sufficient action to contain second coronavirus wave, Natan Eshel accuses ailing business owners of not following distancing rules

Previous crises have shown economists that if young unemployed men and women don't get back to work quickly, they could get stuck on the margins of the labor force for good

Netanyahu insists 'the distress is real' after Tzachi Hanegbi calls assertion 'bullshit' amid unemployment crisis caused by coronavirus

Netanyahu, finance minister reverse earlier decision to end payouts, which had risked leaving hundreds of thousands out of work with no income

Itzik Shumli urges Finance Ministry to extend payout period or risk leaving hundreds of thousands out of work with no income at all

Although women make up just under 50% of workforce, they filed 56% of unemployment claims since March 1; work from home is ray of light, according to study