A special bulletin on the Palestinians - Palestinian Central Bureau of ...

eached 4,110. Results of the education survey of the scholastic year 2009/2010 indicated thatthe number of universities reached 14 and the number of colleges reached 16 which grant bachelordegree and over with 182,453 students and the number of colleges which grant diplomadegree reached 20 with 11,614 students.• Data of 2009 indicated that 31.5% of individuals aged 10 and over in the Palestinian societyread newspapers (34.9% males and 28.0% females); 45.7% of the individuals aged 10 and overlisten to radio (46.9% males and 44.5% females) and 61.0% of the individuals aged 10 and overread books ( 6 individuals out of 10 read books in the Palestinian territory).• Data of 2009 indicated that 6.9% of the individuals aged 10 and over member of sport club;4.3% member of charitable societies; 4.6% member of a union or a syndicate; 3.3% member ofpublic library; 3.5% member of political party and 3.0% member of cultural clubs.Economic situation in the Palestinian Territory:• Results of the labor force survey indicated that there is a decline in participation to 41.1% of thetotal manpower (individuals aged 15 and over) in 2010 comparing to 41.6% in 2009. Results ofthe labor force survey during the period 1995-2010 indicated that the percentage of participationfluctuated around close percentages where the lowest percentage reached 37.9% in 2002and the highest percentage reached 41.7% in 2007.• Unemployment rate in the Palestinian Territory reached 23.7% in 2010 (17.2% in West Bankand 37.8% in the Gaza Strip). It seems that there is a fluctuation in the unemployment rateswhere the highest unemployment rate reached 31.2% in Al-Aqsa Intifada in 2002 during theperiod 1995-2010; while the lowest unemployment rate reached 11.8% in 1999 during the sameperiod.• Unemployment rates in West Bank are different from unemployment rates in Gaza Strip due thegeographical, social and political differences. Unemployment rates in West Bank fluctuate duringthe same period of time between the highest rate 28.2% in 2002 and the lowest rate 9.5% in1999. While in Gaza Strip the rates are between the highest rate 40.6% in 2008 and the lowestrate 16.9% in 1999.• Percentage of underemployment workers reached 7.1% in 2010; while the lowest percentagewas 4.0% in 2001 during the period 1995-2010 and the highest percentage 21.1% in 1995.• Data indicated that the percentage of underemployment is higher among males than femaleseither in West Bank or Gaza Strip where the percentage of underemployment in the Palestinianterritory reached 7.1% in 2010 (8.1% among males and 2.7% among females). Underemploymentin West Bank reached 7.8% in the same year (9.0% among males and 2.6% amongfemales). While underemployment in Gaza Strip reached 5.7% (6.2% among males and 3.0%among females).• Employment rate of the professionals, technicians, associates and clerks) reached 24.3%(18.3% males and 53.7% females) in 2010 which is the highest employment rate in the PalestinianTerritory. Where legislators, senior official and managers occupation still has the lowestemployment rate of employees it reached 5.0%; then plant and machine operators and assemblerswhere its employment rate reached 7.8%.• Employment rate of workers in Israel and settlements from West Bank reached 10.5% in 2010where their employment rate before Al-Aqsa Intifada reached 22.9% in 1999. In Gaza Strip, noworkers have worked in Israel and settlements since 2006 while their employment rate reached15.7% in 1999 before Al-Aqsa Intifada.• Public sector employed around one fourth of workers in the Palestinian Territory (24.0%) in2010.5