Thousands of men queued in India’s northern state of Harayana during a recruitment drive to send workers to Israel, where the offensive in Gaza, now in its fourth month, has caused a shortage of labour. Masons, painters, electricians, plumbers and some farmers said they were looking for jobs in Israel with some willing to risk going into a conflict zone because they could make five times more money in a year than they would at home.
India, now the world’s most populous nation with a population of 1.4 billion, has an urban unemployment rate of 6.6 per cent, government data shows, but more than 17 per cent of workers younger than 29 are unemployed and others work as casual labour. Unemployment and underemployment are a key concern for authorities, despite world-beating economic growth of 7.3 per cent. This month an Israeli financial daily said the country planned to bring in about 70,000 foreign workers from China, India and elsewhere to boost its construction sector, which has come to a standstill since the October 7 attack by Hamas militants. India’s National Skills Development Corporation canvassed in recent weeks for workers to live and work in Israel. Recruiters at the camp refused to comment on the drive. Government data shows about 13 million Indian nationals work overseas as labourers, professionals, and experts.
Israel and India signed an agreement last year to allow more than 40,000 Indians to work in the Jewish state in the nursing and construction sectors.
— Reuters
