(Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS
Issued a special press release for the students who sit for the General Secondary School Certification Examinations “Tawjihi” of the academic year 2014/2015
Educational fields and labor market for persons aged 20-29 years in 2014.
The international classification of education divides study disciplines into the following fields of education:
Basic programs; literacy and numeracy programs; personal development; teacher training and education; arts; humanities; social and behavioral sciences; journalism and information programs; business and administration; law; life sciences; physical sciences; mathematics and statistics; computing; engineering and engineering trades; manufacturing and processing; architecture and construction; agriculture, forestry and fishery programs; veterinary programs, health programs; social services; personal services; transportation; environmental protection and security services.
Approximately 30 thousand students graduate annually from Palestinian higher education institutions. In the 2014/2015 scholastic year, there were around 81 thousand applicants for the General Certificate Exam “Tawjihi”.
Business and Administration is the field where most male students aged 20-29 years enroll whether for intermediate diploma or a bachelor’s degree (BA).
In 2014, around 92 thousand males aged 20-29 years obtained an intermediate diploma or bachelor’s degree. They were specialized in the following fields of education:
Business Administration (26.3%), Health (11.6%), Engineering and Engineering trades (10.1%), Humanities (8.3%), Social and Behavioral Sciences (7.7%), and computing Computer Science (6.4%), other fields (29.6%).
In 2013, there were 84 thousand male graduates aged 20-29 years. The majority of them majored in business and administration (25.1%).
Most female students aged 20-29 years enroll in Teacher Training and Education Science for either an intermediate diploma or a Bachelor’s degree.
In 2014, there were 113 thousand female graduates aged 20-29 years with a bachelor’s degree or an intermediate diploma specialized in the following fields of education:
Teacher training and education science (21.1%), business and administration (19.3%), humanities (15.6%), social and behavioral sciences (11.6%), and health (7.5%), other fields (24.9%).
In 2013, there were 104 thousand female graduates aged 20-29 years, the majority of them majoring in business and administration (19.4%).
A rise in unemployment rate among graduates aged 20-29 years with an intermediate diploma or bachelor’s degree compared to the previous year.
In 2014 the unemployment rate rose to 54.7% among graduates aged 20-29 years with a bachelor’s degree or an intermediate diploma in Palestine (42.3% in the West Bank and 69.5% in Gaza Strip). In 2013 the unemployment rate was 51.5%.
High unemployment rates among males and females aged 20-29 years with an intermediate diploma or bachelor’s degree in some fields
In 2014 the highest unemployment rates among male graduates aged 20-29 years with an intermediate diploma or bachelor’s degree in Palestine were in the following fields of education:
Personal services (46.0%), teacher training and education science (45.9%), humanities (41.4%), journalism and information (41.0%) and architecture and construction (40.7%).
In 2014 the highest unemployment rates among female graduates aged 20-29 years with an intermediate diploma or bachelor’s degree were in the following fields of education:
Personal services (93.8%), life sciences (82.8%), teacher training and education science (79.2%), humanities (78.0%) and social and behavioral sciences (77.2%).
High unemployment rates among graduates aged 20-29 years in Gaza Strip who specialized in teacher training and education science.
In 2014, the highest rates of unemployment among graduates aged 20-29 years with a bachelor’s degree or an intermediate diploma in Gaza Strip were in the following fields of education:
Teacher training and education science (78.1%), humanities (76.1%), social and behavioral sciences (72.3%), mathematics and statistics (71.2%) and engineering and engineering trades (67.5%).
The highest unemployment rates in the West Bank for the same age group by fields of education were as follows:
Life sciences (70.4%), teacher training and education science (68.0%), personal services (62.1%), mathematics and statistics (57.0%) and social and behavioral sciences (52.8%).
Unemployment rate and period of unemployment in months for graduates (20-29) years with an intermediate diploma or bachelor’s degree by field of education in 2014
|
Field of education |
Unemployment rate |
Period unemployed in months |
| Teacher training and education science |
72.7 |
14.6 |
| Humanities |
66.2 |
17.2 |
| Mathematics and statistics |
65.7 |
14.3 |
| Life sciences |
65.3 |
11.3 |
| Social and behavioral sciences |
62.3 |
16.9 |
| Personal services |
63.8 |
11.5 |
| Journalism and information |
49.2 |
19.4 |
| Business and administration |
48.0 |
14.3 |
| Engineering and engineering trades |
46.8 |
14.4 |
| Health |
43.3 |
14.1 |
| Architecture and construction |
40.7 |
12.3 |
| Computing |
39.5 |
10.9 |
| Law |
14.5 |
11.0 |
| Other disciplines |
46.9 |
11.5 |
