Report: Israel one of most competitive countries

[Elemental666]

Report: Israel one of most competitive countries

World Economic Forum ranks Israel as one of world’s most competitive economies, ahead of Canada, France and Republic of Korea

IEICI
Published: 10.15.06, 10:59

The World Economic Forum published its yearly 2006-2007 report in which it ranks Israel as one of the world’s most competitive economies, ahead of Canada, France and the Republic of Korea.

Technological readiness saw the greatest improvement which leaped 20 places to rank 3rd in the world, while market efficiency increased by 7 places. Israel ranked 1st for availability of scientists and engineers an improvement of 3 places from the previous year and 2nd for venture capital availability. Israel ranked 7th in the world for innovation.

Additional improvements were in macroeconomic management, market efficiency and various areas of infrastructure. Due to the large improvement in its overall ranking, Israel received a highlighted section in the report.

Chief Economist and director of the Global Competitiveness Network, Augusto Lopex-Claros, wrote in the report: "Israel has become a world technology powerhouse, and this is beginning to have favorable demonstration effect on the rest of the economy . . . Israel has benefited from the development of culture of innovation, supported by first-class institutions of higher education and scientific research ".
Source:

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3315021,00.html

Edit:
Worth to mention that Switzerland, Finland and Sweden are top 3..so congrats p-)

[Snoshi]

Awesome news!

[Korath]

nice, it has a down side, too - the social gap. it's huge. and btw, how much of israeli gdp comes from foreing aid? some time age it was as much as 5%. israel is the largerst recipient of american aid (military and civilian) in the world. the aid per capita is huge. i don't deny the achievements, fantastic academic education, from which i benefited, too, hi-tech industry, etc. the failures, however, are also spectacular. bankruptcy of kibutzim, the town of dimona (just as an example, you can think about arad, yeruham and dozens of other places), health care system, etc.

[IsrTor]

nice, it has a down side, too - the social gap. it's huge. and btw, how much of israeli gdp comes from foreing aid? some time age it was as much as 5%. israel is the largerst recipient of american aid (military and civilian) in the world. the aid per capita is huge. i don't deny the achievements, fantastic academic education, from which i benefited, too, hi-tech industry, etc. the failures, however, are also spectacular. bankruptcy of kibutzim, the town of dimona (just as an example, you can think about arad, yeruham and dozens of other places), health care system, etc.


next time you answer a question make sure somebody asked it, ty

[Korath]

stick you head in the sand and just play dead and maybe, just maybe the problems will go away, or at least noone will ever hear about the, right?

[Kaplanr]

Korath has some good points. Direct US aid (using the 1.2 billion) constitutes less than a percent of Israeli GDP. However it does constitute about 2% of the national budget. The US aid package is being reduced by 120 million annually since 1998. Loan Gurantees after the GUlf War aren't included and have not resulted in the US covering any defaulted payments.

I disagree with your analysis though of the kibbutzim. Some of their problems go back to the late 70s and early 80s when the successive Likud governments began eliminating some preferential policies that 30 years of Labour governments had put into place, and from equal enforcement of other laws and regulations. Many of the service industries on the kibbutzim didn't have to abide by the same rules and regulations that a private business person in a city or town had to fulfill. That's small potatos though. The real problems, first exposed by the 1983 banking crisis (the 1929 market crash for Israel), sehowed up that the rest of the economy was catching up to the kibbutzim, and that their ability to innovate had slowed. Their real problems were less economic and more social. Avi from the city finished army, goes trekking in Nepal and comes back to start university. Avi from kibbutz finishes the army, goes trekking and may have to work the refet (dairy) for two years before they vote on whether he can go to university. By the late 80s him going to the university was pretty automatic. The problem is what does he do with that degree when he gets back to the kibbutz?

Don't get me wrong, I regret leaving the kibbutz, and that was 15 years ago, I loved being a mechanic and welder, but I'm done with field crops. It's going to be interesting to see if the kibbutz model that emerges for the regular kibbutzim (not the very wealthy ones Maagen Michael, Yotvata, Givat Brenner, etc) have any of the vestiges of the traditional model. The wealtheir ones can continue to subsidize their "traditional" branches so they can look and feel like a kibbutz.

Your comments on the growing disparity between haves and have-nots is 100% dead on, and were it not for the security situation, would be the national pressure cooker. At some point there's going to have to be a better medium between the Likud's Milton Friedman open market philosophies and the traditional Socialist pandering of what the Histadrut used to demand. THe time has come to make the correction leftward a little. having 20%-30% of your children living at or below poverty is unacceptable; it's a recipe for a national level of Wadi Salim riots and the kind of stuff we saw in France this Spring.

[alexz]

nice, it has a down side, too - the social gap. it's huge. and btw, how much of israeli gdp comes from foreing aid? some time age it was as much as 5%. israel is the largerst recipient of american aid (military and civilian) in the world. the aid per capita is huge. i don't deny the achievements, fantastic academic education, from which i benefited, too, hi-tech industry, etc. the failures, however, are also spectacular. bankruptcy of kibutzim, the town of dimona (just as an example, you can think about arad, yeruham and dozens of other places), health care system, etc.

A few good question that can easly be answeared. First Israel doesn't
get more aid the then Iraq ($120 Billion in 3 years).
US military aid is $2.2 billion which all must be spent in the US, procuring US
made weapons. The economical aid to Israel is $750 million or if you will
just over a $100 per person a year in a country were you need at least
$500 a month to pay rent. So not such a huge help after all, but we are
still thankfull. Isreal GDP is around $120 billion and it's growing thank to
economical reforms which made Israel more competative (Irland style).
The kibbuzim went bankrupt as any other socialit system does in this
competative world. Israeli development town are suffering despite money
allocated to them, due to bearucratic red tape and useless government
employees with no motivation to their job. They should be next to privatize.

[Korath]

the amount of us help actually depends on how you calculate it. it still seems huge for a successful country. it's not a very good idea to compare us help to irak and israel. i bet you wouldn't like to find yourselves in the iraki position to get the assitance.

my point was, that the israeli success does not describe the whole story. it was one of the greatest decisions in the state's history, i think made during rabin's time at the pm's office, to prioritize hi-tech industry. it's paying off greatly.

on the other hand, the disparities are sometimes shocking, e.g., lice problem at schools in such a developed country. and I don't think that it's right to sweep the social problems under the carpet using the security explanation. after all it influences the security. if you think that some 15 - 20% (correct me if i'm wrong) of citizens live abroad that starts to be a security problem.

in a long term social injustice may have an imact on people identification and willingness to sacrifice for the state that does not care for them. in israel it may take longer than in other countries for numerous (more or less obvious resons), but still it's a short sighted policy to avoid social issues because of the security problems.

[alexz]

the amount of us help actually depends on how you calculate it. it still seems huge for a successful country. it's not a very good idea to compare us help to irak and israel. i bet you wouldn't like to find yourselves in the iraki position to get the assitance.


A dollar is dollar, and it probably gets you a whole lot more in Iraq then in Israel. The US military aid which is slightly more then the one Egypt
gets, is benficiary for both countries as the US gets Israeli patents and
invesnsion in return virtualy free from US co-sponsore programs, i.e.
the arrow anti - balistic missiles missile, which is now produced in the
US by boeing. It also gives the US levrage over Israel by denieng it to
export technilogies to countrie snot friendly to the US like Venzuela.


my point was, that the israeli success does not describe the whole story. it was one of the greatest decisions in the state's history, i think made during rabin's time at the pm's office, to prioritize hi-tech industry. it's paying off greatly.

I don't know if there was actually a descion to prioritize hi-tech industry,
but there was, then it happened way before Rabin.


on the other hand, the disparities are sometimes shocking, e.g., lice problem at schools in such a developed country. and I don't think that it's right to sweep the social problems under the carpet using the security explanation. after all it influences the security. if you think that some 15 - 20% (correct me if i'm wrong) of citizens live abroad that starts to be a security problem.

in a long term social injustice may have an imact on people identification and willingness to sacrifice for the state that does not care for them. in israel it may take longer than in other countries for numerous (more or less obvious resons), but still it's a short sighted policy to avoid social issues because of the security problems.

This is were a totaly desagree with you. Israeli socialist welfare system
created the socialiy underdeveloped classes and unmotivated people, which
are stuck in that circle for generation. Bibi's painful but necessary reforms,
forced them to better them selves and provie example to their children.
I grew up in one one of those neighborhoods were you would see adults
playing cards and drinking coffee all day. This virtues where being passed
on to generations, thankfully we had teachers that cared and most of
my classmated are in the hightech industry and doing well, because of
we learn to work hard and succeed as opposing on get a few bucks every month
from the government and cry about being discriminated against
and all the usuall BS. Countries like Ireland didn't pull themselves out
by increasong wellfare spending but making the condition for people
to succeed.

[Korath]

This is were a totaly desagree with you. Israeli socialist welfare system
created the socialiy underdeveloped classes and unmotivated people, which
are stuck in that circle for generation. Bibi's painful but necessary reforms,
forced them to better them selves and provie example to their children.
I grew up in one one of those neighborhoods were you would see adults
playing cards and drinking coffee all day. This virtues where being passed
on to generations, thankfully we had teachers that cared and most of
my classmated are in the hightech industry and doing well, because of
we learn to work hard and succeed as opposing on get a few bucks every month
from the government and cry about being discriminated against
and all the usuall BS. Countries like Ireland didn't pull themselves out
by increasong wellfare spending but making the condition for people
to succeed.

I didn't write that I support socialist welfare system. I actually agree with you that giving people fair chance or kick in a but to start them off is much better than giving them money (see the demoralizing effect of east German transformation by pumping huge amounts of money).

I am rather concerned with a damaging effect of social gap on long-term security of a country which uses an army of conscripts instead of a professional army. in brief - social gap damages loyalty to and identification with a state and in turn willingness to sacrifice necessary to maintain a large, battle ready arem of conscripts. that's why I asked about the figure of 15-20% citizens living abroad - probably most of them are out of the conscript and reserve units circle. You have thousands and thousands of people applyting for foreing passports - "just in case". As far as I am awere the ratio of boys serving in the army is around 50% and girls 34%. I could be wrong by a few % points, but still these figures are very low for the army and the country with a myth of 'general' conscription. That is why I think that putting social probles aside will actually have, or already has, a devastating effect on the states security.

[Snoshi]

I didn't write that I support socialist welfare system. I actually agree with you that giving people fair chance or kick in a but to start them off is much better than giving them money (see the demoralizing effect of east German transformation by pumping huge amounts of money).

I am rather concerned with a damaging effect of social gap on long-term security of a country which uses an army of conscripts instead of a professional army. in brief - social gap damages loyalty to and identification with a state and in turn willingness to sacrifice necessary to maintain a large, battle ready arem of conscripts. that's why I asked about the figure of 15-20% citizens living abroad - probably most of them are out of the conscript and reserve units circle. You have thousands and thousands of people applyting for foreing passports - "just in case". As far as I am awere the ratio of boys serving in the army is around 50% and girls 34%. I could be wrong by a few % points, but still these figures are very low for the army and the country with a myth of 'general' conscription. That is why I think that putting social probles aside will actually have, or already has, a devastating effect on the states security.
WHAT?!

Almost everyone serve in Israel.. I dont know where you got your numbers from but they are not from Israel.

[GiladS]

As far as I am awere the ratio of boys serving in the army is around 50% and girls 34%. I could be wrong by a few % points, but still these figures are very low for the army and the country with a myth of 'general' conscription.

The ratio of men who are candidates for military service and eventually serve in the IDF stands at 74% actually (as of 2005 at least)...

[Korath]

Historically it has never been 'almost everyone'. Just take the ultra-orthodox population. There is a nice way to avoid the draft and support ultra-orthodox yeshivas with tax money at the same time, but it's a different story.

There were always social groups that provided conscirpts. Kibbutzim in the past and yeshivot esder now. A year or so ago there was an article in ha'aretz about the issue. There are enough conscripts to keep the army going (the bigger does not always mean the better) so it is not the issue. It is a matter of social justice and so on. The point of the article was that there was a huge gap between the popular perception of the universal service and the reality. I wish I could find the article...

GiladS, where is the number 74% from?

[GiladS]

GiladS, where is the number 74% from?

The Human Resources Branch of the IDF (publicized by Yediot Aharonot).

Up untill recently this information was deemed classified.

However a public debate which was sparked by a comment by Major-General Eliezer Stern (the head of the HRB) following the war in Lebanon and regarding Tel-Aviv's contribution to the IDF resulted in the release of such figures.



http://uploaded.fresh.co.il/2006/09/03/41749292.jpg


There are enough conscripts to keep the army going (the bigger does not always mean the better) so it is not the issue.


True, one should keep in mind the growth of the population ever since those days where the IDF was indeed the 'people's army'.

[Korath]

thanx for posting it. but still there is one ambiguity.

It says 'candidates for militry service' and not the 'total population'. This is the point that could actually reconcile this data with the data I was talking about. If you consider, for example, that ultra-orthodox yeshiva studens are not 'candidates for military service' than the numbers for the 'total population' would go down. On the other hand very low results for Bnei-Brak and Jerusalem suggest that in this case "candidates" = "general public"

I'm going back to the ultra-orthodox yeshivas, because there was a 'beautiful' trick. If you wanted to avoid service, it was enough to assign to a yeshiva and declare, that you were studying (fictiously). Yeshivas were eager to get such studends, because they were claiming state subsidies for them. There was an uproar about it. Does anyone know if it was actually resolved?

[Ren987]

I am rather concerned with a damaging effect of social gap on long-term security of a country which uses an army of conscripts instead of a professional army.
Professional army instead of conscription is not an option... Israel's population is only ~7 millions and the IDF needs a critical mass for the active and reserve duty without having to pay half the defense budget in salaries. Conscription proved to work in countries with limited manpower like Finland, Switzerland, Sweden. I don't think they will change anytime soon...

in brief - social gap damages loyalty to and identification with a state and in turn willingness to sacrifice necessary to maintain a large, battle ready arem of conscripts.
The social gap increased because the credits allocated for fighting poverty were diverted for fighting terror after the start of the second intifada. Israel has a naturally high social gap because arab and ultra orthodox sector tend to depend mostly on the welfare system to make a living.

For the loyalty you are wrong (again), the last survey (http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull&cid=1137605866664) shown that israelis regardless of their social status, are the most patriotic people in the Western world.

that's why I asked about the figure of 15-20% citizens living abroad - probably most of them are out of the conscript and reserve units circle.

The figure is less than 10%... Around 600 000 israelis live abroad, mostly in U.S. (source (http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/767404.html)).

You have thousands and thousands of people applyting for foreing passports - "just in case".
You make Israel sound like a third world country... More people make their aliyah (immigrate) than the other way around and you can't blame anyone to hold a dual-citizenship, it doesn't hurt especially when you inherited it from one of your forefather.


As far as I am awere the ratio of boys serving in the army is around 50% and girls 34%. I could be wrong by a few % points, but still these figures are very low for the army and the country with a myth of 'general' conscription. That is why I think that putting social probles aside will actually have, or already has, a devastating effect on the states security.
The draft dodging figure is more like 40% for the girls and 20% for the guys. "The people army" concept is alive and well even if ultra orthodox and arabs (except druzes and circassians) are not draft.

Take it easy but check your facts before posting. :)

[GiladS]

On the other hand very low results for Bnei-Brak and Jerusalem suggest that in this case "candidates" = "general public"


That is in fact the case I believe (general Jewish public at least).

As the debate was around Tel-Aviv's contribution, it was clearly mentioned in the newspaper that Tel-Aviv shows the highest figure of unenlisted candidates apart from areas with a significant ultra-orthodox populace (Jerusalem, Bnei-Brak).

I think the only population not considerd as candidates for military service are Muslim Arabs.

[Korath]

Take it easy but check your facts before posting. :)

I actually post to confront the facts. I was affraid that it would get down to sensless accusations or other BS. But instead there are a few well based replies. This thread got me much better answers than I expected. Really thanx. :)

[Midav]

Good news!

Is it true that Israel has taken the lead in the field of technology development?

[alexz]

Good news!

Is it true that Israel has taken the lead in the field of technology development?

There are no distinctive leaders and Israel doesn't get to wear a yellow jersy.
Israel how ever been always an inovator a key player in technology
development. The fact that the world biggest technology companies
such as Intel, Motorola, Cisco, IBM, Microsoft and many others have a R&D
centers in Israel is a testament to that.

[Atlantic Friend]

and the kind of stuff we saw in France this Spring.

This spring ? Don't you mean last November ?

[Kaplanr]

This spring ? Don't you mean last November ?
Weren't they in March this year?

[gilgoul]

This spring ? Don't you mean last November ?

Yup, I correct for him ;)
Beside, Kaplanr is spot on.
The competitiveness of the Israeli economy comes at a terrible price, believe me, I feel it every single day, especially since I lost my job a month and a half ago.
The unemployment benefits are a joke, social protection very low compared with the level of taxation, beside, if gangs and petty criminality aren't still a real issue, they will become a major problem if the trend of a growing gap between have and have not continue this way.
More, the relatively low wages are becoming problematic, a lot of people with education are leaving the country for europe and the USA, where they can have a chance of making a decent living, compared with the ridiculous conditions and poor management offered in Israel.
As an exemple, I would cite a friend, doctor in geography, specialized in sustainable developement, a specialty that could have it's use in a small country that could try to improve a lot of things in territorial management. This friend tried unsuccessfully for a year to find a job here, to realize the best she could get would be some kind of assistant underqualified contractor post for a university, at a wage lower than of a cop, without pension.
She just left for Mexico, where she gets better benefits, research credits and the possibility to join later on american universities.
One day, this country will wake up and ask where it's brains went to, and will discover that immediate rentability isn't a solution when it comes to prepare for the next economic overhaul.

[GiladS]

Intel Israel hiring 1,500 as parent company lays off staff

By Eynav Ben Yehuda

Intel Israel is already one of the country's largest employers and means to hire 1,500 workers by the end of 2007, CEO Alex Kornhauser said yesterday.

The company has already hired 1,000 workers so far this year, despite the parent company's efforts to make widespread personnel cutbacks elsewhere.

Most hiring will focus on the research and development centers in Haifa, Yakum and Kiryat Gat, according to Kornhauser. The latter center is planned to start operation in 2008.

The parent Intel recently announced it would fire 10,500 employees around the world as it restructures. The company had not mentioned Israel, but the speculation was that similar cuts would be made across the board, of 10 percent of each country's work force.

That would have meant a loss of 700 jobs in Israel.

Intel Israel chose not to comment on the speculation. Kornhauser, who rarely talks about numbers, supplied the figures to TheMarker that indicate Intel Israel's plans to continue hiring employees.

Regarding reorganization on the local level, he said: "As for the number thrown about by the media, 700 layoffs, we never stipulated this number, and I don't want to specify numbers, but can say that the number is significantly smaller.

Reorganization in the country will be reflected in the support field, but this, too, will be done more by the personnel we have.



http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/775402.html

[Atlantic Friend]

Weren't they in March this year?

If by "they" you mean riots, then no they weren't in March. Nothing on the radar since last november, in fact.

[Friendly Fire]

I didn't write that I support socialist welfare system. I actually agree with you that giving people fair chance or kick in a but to start them off is much better than giving them money (see the demoralizing effect of east German transformation by pumping huge amounts of money).

I am rather concerned with a damaging effect of social gap on long-term security of a country which uses an army of conscripts instead of a professional army. in brief - social gap damages loyalty to and identification with a state and in turn willingness to sacrifice necessary to maintain a large, battle ready arem of conscripts. that's why I asked about the figure of 15-20% citizens living abroad - probably most of them are out of the conscript and reserve units circle. You have thousands and thousands of people applyting for foreing passports - "just in case". As far as I am awere the ratio of boys serving in the army is around 50% and girls 34%. I could be wrong by a few % points, but still these figures are very low for the army and the country with a myth of 'general' conscription. That is why I think that putting social probles aside will actually have, or already has, a devastating effect on the states security.

Stick with what you know better.

Obviously you don't know about the Treuhand ripoff. The East germans were allowed "huge sums of money" in exchnage for the utter destruction of their economic potential in favor of West germany. No one gave away money to Eastern germans! The money was given in order to buy the Osis silence during the whole privatisation process.

[Friendly Fire]

Yup, I correct for him ;)
Beside, Kaplanr is spot on.
The competitiveness of the Israeli economy comes at a terrible price, believe me, I feel it every single day, especially since I lost my job a month and a half ago.
The unemployment benefits are a joke, social protection very low compared with the level of taxation, beside, if gangs and petty criminality aren't still a real issue, they will become a major problem if the trend of a growing gap between have and have not continue this way.
More, the relatively low wages are becoming problematic, a lot of people with education are leaving the country for europe and the USA, where they can have a chance of making a decent living, compared with the ridiculous conditions and poor management offered in Israel.
As an exemple, I would cite a friend, doctor in geography, specialized in sustainable developement, a specialty that could have it's use in a small country that could try to improve a lot of things in territorial management. This friend tried unsuccessfully for a year to find a job here, to realize the best she could get would be some kind of assistant underqualified contractor post for a university, at a wage lower than of a cop, without pension.
She just left for Mexico, where she gets better benefits, research credits and the possibility to join later on american universities.
One day, this country will wake up and ask where it's brains went to, and will discover that immediate rentability isn't a solution when it comes to prepare for the next economic overhaul.


That's the "road to recession" as described by Samuelson on the Asian Dragons.

[Ren987]

Record January-October foreign investment tops $17b
This represents a 72% increase over the whole of 2005.
Zeev Klein 5 Nov 06 14:55

Foreign investments in October totaled $696 million, of which $225 million was invested in Israeli securities, and $471 million was direct investment, the Bank of Israel (http://www.bankisrael.gov.il/firsteng.htm) reported today.

Foreign investment totaled $17.06 billion in January-October, an all-time high. This represents a 72% increase over 2005 as a whole.

Foreign investment in Israeli marketable securities rose 79% to $7.8 billion in January-October, from $4.36 billion for 2005 as a whole. Direct foreign investment in the same period totaled $9.25 billion, a 65% increase over 2005 as a whole.

Foreign investment in Israeli securities traded on international stock exchanges also rose. Foreign investors invested $8.24 billion in share offerings of Israeli companies overseas, 6.4 times higher than $1.29 billion in 2005 as a whole. Foreign investment in shares listed on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) grew by $90 million in October.

Israeli institutional investors invested $300 million in foreign assets in October, and $2.59 billion since the beginning of 2006. http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000149206&fid=942

[The thing]

A dollar is dollar, and it probably gets you a whole lot more in Iraq then in Israel. The US military aid which is slightly more then the one Egypt
gets, is benficiary for both countries as the US gets Israeli patents and
invesnsion in return virtualy free from US co-sponsore programs, i.e.
the arrow anti - balistic missiles missile, which is now produced in the
US by boeing. It also gives the US levrage over Israel by denieng it to
export technilogies to countrie snot friendly to the US like Venzuela.


I don't know if there was actually a descion to prioritize hi-tech industry,
but there was, then it happened way before Rabin.



This is were a totaly desagree with you. Israeli socialist welfare system
created the socialiy underdeveloped classes and unmotivated people, which
are stuck in that circle for generation. Bibi's painful but necessary reforms,
forced them to better them selves and provie example to their children.
I grew up in one one of those neighborhoods were you would see adults
playing cards and drinking coffee all day. This virtues where being passed
on to generations, thankfully we had teachers that cared and most of
my classmated are in the hightech industry and doing well, because of
we learn to work hard and succeed as opposing on get a few bucks every month
from the government and cry about being discriminated against
and all the usuall BS. Countries like Ireland didn't pull themselves out
by increasong wellfare spending but making the condition for people
to succeed.

I think that you'll find that Ireland has a fantastic welfare state and yes when the economy started to boom in the late 1990's the Irish government poured alot more money into social welfare schemes and tax relief systems for families and the unemployed.

[Javehn]

Yup, I correct for him ;)
Beside, Kaplanr is spot on.
The competitiveness of the Israeli economy comes at a terrible price, believe me, I feel it every single day, especially since I lost my job a month and a half ago.
The unemployment benefits are a joke, social protection very low compared with the level of taxation, beside, if gangs and petty criminality aren't still a real issue, they will become a major problem if the trend of a growing gap between have and have not continue this way.
More, the relatively low wages are becoming problematic, a lot of people with education are leaving the country for europe and the USA, where they can have a chance of making a decent living, compared with the ridiculous conditions and poor management offered in Israel.
As an exemple, I would cite a friend, doctor in geography, specialized in sustainable developement, a specialty that could have it's use in a small country that could try to improve a lot of things in territorial management. This friend tried unsuccessfully for a year to find a job here, to realize the best she could get would be some kind of assistant underqualified contractor post for a university, at a wage lower than of a cop, without pension.
She just left for Mexico, where she gets better benefits, research credits and the possibility to join later on american universities.
One day, this country will wake up and ask where it's brains went to, and will discover that immediate rentability isn't a solution when it comes to prepare for the next economic overhaul.


God knows you are right ....
Instead of doing what I like (the military is not an option for me anymore) , like archeology/history , I have to work in electronics (which god knows I pretty much hate) , cause it's the only chance for me to get some normal cash .
I really consider to study abroad and find a job there , cause I really don't want to come to work anymore , with feeling "when the hell this day will be over" .

[Atlantic Friend]

God knows you are right ....
Instead of doing what I like (the military is not an option for me anymore) , like archeology/history , I have to work in electronics (which god knows I pretty much hate) , cause it's the only chance for me to get some normal cash .

Archeaology or History in Israel... Like doing Paleontology in Central Africa, it's the real thing. With so much History just lying around, no wonder you feel that inclination.

[Kaplanr]

Israel ranks as more corrupt in '06
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
JPost.com Staff, THE JERUSALEM POST Nov. 6, 2006
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The general perception among Israelis that the government has become ever more corrupt over the years received a stamp of scientific legitimacy Monday, as Transparency International released its 2006 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), which points to the correlation between corruption and poverty.

Israel was listed along with Brazil, Cuba, Jordan, Laos, Seychelles, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia and the US as countries with a significant worsening in perceived levels of corruption.

Israel, along with Taiwan, received a score of 5.9 on the CPI scale and was ranked 34 in the world out of 163 countries included in the yearly survey. In 2005 Israel was ranked six places higher.

CPI relates to perceptions of the degree of corruption as seen by business people and country analysts, and ranges from scores of 10, which is "highly clean," and 0, which is "highly corrupt."

The survey found a very high correlation between high poverty levels and perceived corruption.

According to a September 2006 Peace Index poll published by professors Ephraim Yaar and Tamar Hermann of Tel Aviv University, the Israeli public has already arrived at the same conclusions as the Transparency International findings. About three-fourths of the public - 73 percent - think many or almost all social service workers are involved in corruption.

This pessimistic atmosphere apparently affects the public's view of the functioning of Israeli democracy.

On a scale of 0 (very poor) to 10 (very good), Israeli democracy gets an average grade of 5.7, whereas the Jewish public today gives a 6.7 to its functioning 10 years ago.

Qatar and Bhutan were ranked just above Israel with scores of 6.0, while Bahrain scored just below at 5.7.

Among Israel's Middle East neighbors, Iraq scored a 1.9, Iran and Libya scored 2.7, Syria 2.9, Saudi Arabia and Egypt 3.3, Lebanon 3.6, Turkey 3.8, and Jordan 5.3.

Countries that showed significant improvement in perceived levels of corruption include: Algeria, Czech Republic, India, Japan, Latvia, Lebanon, Mauritius, Paraguay, Slovenia, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uruguay.

The countries deemed "cleanest," with scores of 9.6, were Finland, New Zealand and Iceland, while Haiti scored the lowest at 1.6.

The CPI methodology is reviewed by an Index Advisory Committee consisting of leading international experts in the fields of corruption, econometrics and statistics.

Members of the committee make suggestions for improving the CPI, but the management of TI takes the final decisions on the methodology used. The CPI 2006 draws on 12 different polls and surveys from nine independent institutions.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1162378336621&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

[gilgoul]

God knows you are right ....
Instead of doing what I like (the military is not an option for me anymore) , like archeology/history , I have to work in electronics (which god knows I pretty much hate) , cause it's the only chance for me to get some normal cash .
I really consider to study abroad and find a job there , cause I really don't want to come to work anymore , with feeling "when the hell this day will be over" .

Welcome to my world ;)

[Wodan]

Switzerland, Finland and Sweden are the world’s most competitive economies according to The Global Competitiveness Report 2006-2007, released by the World Economic Forum on 26 September 2006. Denmark, Singapore, the United States, Japan, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom complete the top ten list, but the United States shows the most pronounced drop, falling from first to sixth.



1. Switzerland
2. Finland
3. Sweden
4. Denmark
5. Singapore
6. USA
7. Japan
8. Germany
9. Netherlands
10. UK
11. Hong Kong
12. Norway
13. Taiwan,China
14. Iceland
15. Israel
16. Canada

source (World Economic Forum itself): http://www.weforum.org/en/initiatives/gcp/Global%20Competitiveness%20Report/index.htm




Rank Country/Economy Score
1 Switzerland 5.81
2 Finland 5.76
3 Sweden 5.74
4 Denmark 5.70
5 Singapore 5.63
6 United States 5.61
7 Japan 5.60
8 Germany 5.58
9 Netherlands 5.56
10 United Kingdom 5.54
11 Hong Kong SAR 5.46
12 Norway 5.42
13 Taiwan, China 5.41
14 Iceland 5.40
15 Israel 5.38
16 Canada 5.37
17 Austria 5.32
18 France 5.31
19 Australia 5.29
20 Belgium 5.27
21 Ireland 5.21
22 Luxembourg 5.16
23 New Zealand 5.15
24 Korea, Rep. 5.13
25 Estonia 5.12
26 Malaysia 5.11
27 Chile 4.85
28 Spain 4.77
29 Czech Republic 4.74
30 Tunisia 4.71
31 Barbados 4.70
32 United Arab Emirates 4.66
33 Slovenia 4.64
34 Portugal 4.60
35 Thailand 4.58
36 Latvia 4.57
37 Slovak Republic 4.55
38 Qatar 4.55
39 Malta 4.54
40 Lithuania 4.53
41 Hungary 4.52
42 Italy 4.46
43 India 4.44
44 Kuwait 4.41
45 South Africa 4.36
46 Cyprus 4.36
47 Greece 4.33
48 Poland 4.30
49 Bahrain 4.28
50 Indonesia 4.26