Full-time wages for young ultra-Orthodox men with no secondary education are 16% lower than for their non-haredi Jewish counterparts, according to a study by the Finance Ministry’s Chief Economist office.
The study examined the quality of the haredi school system for boys and found indications that this education system was not as effective as the non-ultra-Orthodox system in preparing students for the workforce.
In addition to finding the gap in wages, which was based on data from 2019, and was a gap of around NIS 1350, the study found that only 43% of students who graduated from the ultra-Orthodox school system were able to complete an academic degree within six years of starting one. This number is 65% for their Jewish non-haredi counterparts, according to the study.
Although the gap in completing education may have many factors, both findings indicate that the skills taught by the haredi school system are not as suited for the labor force as those taught in non-haredi education tracks, said the report.
Haredi school systems do not prepare students for higher-quality positions
The finding about completing an academic degree also indicates that the haredi school system does not prepare haredi students to integrate into higher quality positions, said the report.
Closing labor market gaps between ultra-Orthodox and non-ultra Orthodox men is important for the long-term growth of Israel’s economy, and increasing core-curriculum subjects taught in the ultra-Orthodox system is one way to close the gap, the report concluded.