Family Relations

Inbal Doron

The family unit is undergoing a process of transformation in the modern world. In recent years the public debate surrounding this process and its potential implications for various aspects of society has been increasing. In this context, some interesting statistics regarding the population of Jerusalem are presented here.

According to data of the Central Bureau of Statistics from the end of 2009, a total of 66% of the city’s population (aged 20 and above) were married, whereas 23% were single, 6% were divorced, and 5% were widowed. The percentage of married individuals aged 20 and above in Jerusalem was comparable to the figure for Israel (63%) and much higher than the figure for Tel Aviv (46%). The data indicate that Jerusalemites marry at a young age. Among those aged 20-34 in Jerusalem, about 53% were married (compared to 28% in Tel Aviv). Interestingly, 9% of all married residents of the city were wed before age 24, compared to 4% in Israel and only 1.5% in Tel Aviv.

Divorce rates in Jerusalem were very low. Only 9% of those aged 35 and above in the city were divorced, compared to 16% in Tel Aviv and 14% in Haifa. The percentage of those divorced among the 35+ age group within the Jewish population was higher than the figure for the Arab population: 11% versus 3%, respectively. The percentage of singles within both population groups was identical, at 8%.

According to data of the National Council for the Child from the end of 2010, Jerusalem had 7,900 single-parent families, which included about 14,000 children under age 18. These children accounted for approximately 4% of all the city’s children. This is lower than the figure for Israel, in which 9% of all children belong to single-parent families. In Tel Aviv the percentage of children within single-parent families was especially high, measuring 17%. 

Sources: Analysis of Central Bureau of Statistics data, Statistical Yearbook of the National Council for the Child.

Don't worry be happy

Aviel Yelinek

Many people experience stress or worry at some point in their lives. At times this is a natural reaction of the body as it prepares itself to be tested or to face important events, but in many cases it is a matter of significant emotional overload that could continue for a long time and undermine quality or life or even day-to-day functionality.

The 2010 Social Survey of the Central Bureau of Statistics questioned individuals aged 20 and above about the stress and worry they feel in the course of their daily lives. The questions focused on the feelings of the respondents during the 12 months preceding the survey.

The data reveal that 19% of Jerusalemites frequently felt stressed. This was lower than the figure for Israel (24%), Tel Aviv (26%), and Haifa (35%). A particularly striking statistic is the percentage of Jerusalemites who felt no stress: 39%. This was significantly higher than the figure for Israel (23%), Haifa (21%), and Tel Aviv (15%). Assessment by gender reveals that women tend to feel stress more than men. Among women in Israel, 29% reported that they frequently felt stressed, compared to 19% of men. Likewise, 19% of women reported that they did not feel any stress, compared to 28% of men.

Another interesting question focused on the effect of worry on quality of sleep. The percentage of Jerusalemites who reported that worries frequently disturbed their sleep stood at 11%. This was lower than the figure for Tel Aviv (14%), Israel (15%), and Haifa (20%). Likewise, the percentage of Jerusalemites who reported no sleep disturbances due to worries was 46%, which is higher than the figure for Haifa (41%), Israel (40%), and Tel Aviv (37%). Interestingly, the percentage of women in Israel who reported that worries frequently disturb their sleep measured 17%, which is higher than the figure for men (11%). Accordingly, the percentage of women who reported that their sleep was never disrupted by worries stood at 33%, which lower than the figure for men (48%).

Source: Analysis of Central Bureau of Statistics data

Pension for the Masses

Lior Lehrs

As of January 2008, it is obligatory to provide pension insurance to every employee in Israel. This obligation follows from a July 2007 collective agreement signed between the Histadrut (national labor union) and the Coordinating Bureau of Economic Organizations. The agreement was intended to remedy the hardship faced by thousands of members of the workforce whose employers did not provide pension plans to ensure their financial future. The agreement obligates every employer in Israel to provide a pension plan for its employees and establishes the percentages that the employer and employee must contribute to the pension.

The Central Bureau of Statistics' Social Survey data indicate a significant increase in the percentage of employees in Israel who have a pension plan (retirement fund, directors' insurance, or subsidized long-term savings plan) over the course of the years since this change. According to the data, the percentage of employees in Israel with a pension plan rose from 64% in 2007 to 80% in 2010. In Jerusalem, 56% had pension plans in 2007 and 66% in 2010. The percentage of Jerusalemites with pension plans in 2010 was lower than the figure for residents of Tel Aviv (85%), Rishon LeZion (82%), and Haifa (80%).

The data indicate a clear correlation between income level and percentage of employees with a pension plan. For example, among employees with an individual net monthly income of NIS 2,000 or below, only 42% had such a plan, whereas among those with an income NIS 7,500 or above, the percentage of pension plan owners was over 95%. There are also significant differences among the employees of different sectors. The percentage of pension plan owners is high among employees in the electricity and water sector (96%), public services (95%), and banking, insurance, and finance (93%). In contrast, low percentages were recorded among employees of hospitality and food services (48%), construction (51%), and agriculture (60%).

Analysis of the conditions facing employees of human resources agencies ("temp agencies") reveals that the percentage of pension plan owners among these employees rose from 40% in 2007 to 62% in 2010, but is still lower than the figure for all employees (80%).

Source: Analysis of Central Bureau of Statistics data

Business As Usual

Inbal Doron

An examination of the number of active businesses in a city and their survivability rates over time provides an indication of the strength of the city's business sector. Identifying those sectors of the economy in which businesses have higher survivability rates can also be instructive.

In 2010, approximately 34,700 businesses operated in Jerusalem. This was lower than the 2010 figure for Tel Aviv, where about 64,700 businesses operated, and higher than for Haifa, where about 20,000 businesses operated. The economic sectors with the highest numbers of businesses in Jerusalem were real estate and business services (26%), trade (20%), health, education, and welfare (14%), and transportation and communications (11%). These sectors are more dynamic than others, with a large number of business openings and closings registered annually. During 2010, a total of 912 new businesses opened in the sector of real estate and business services, representing 28% of all new businesses. During the same year, 616 businesses from this sector closed, representing 23% of all the businesses that closed. In the trade sector, 727 new businesses opened (23%) and 656 closed (24%) during this year. In total, more than 3,200 new businesses opened in Jerusalem and about 2,700 closed during 2010. These numbers were lower than the figures for Tel Aviv, where more than 6,300 businesses opened and about 4,450 closed.

What are the chances of survival for a new business? The data indicate that of all the new businesses opened in Israel in 2005, approximately half closed by 2010. A similar trend took place in Jerusalem, where the survivability rate of a new business was 89% in the first year, 75% in the second year, 65% in the third year, 59% in the fourth year, and 52% in the fifth year.

Rates of survivability vary among the different business sectors. Jerusalem businesses in the education and health sector and in the banking and finance sector enjoyed relatively high survivability rates, with 67% surviving past five years. In contrast, the survivability rate of businesses in the hospitality and food services' sector that had opened in 2005 measured only 35% in 2010.

Source: Analysis of Central Bureau of Statistics data