Most Israeli factories recover from war-related shutdown: Survey

Jerusalem, Nov 23 (IANS) Israeli factories have been recovering from a large-scale shutdown witnessed at the beginning of the ongoing war with Hamas, according to an industry surve.

The Manufacturers Association of Israel (MAI) surveyed 106 to 127 factories ranging from food, textile, to electronics manufacturers over a span of six weeks since the Hamas launched its massive assault against the Jewish nation on October 7, reports Xinhua news agency.

Among the surveyed factories, 29 per cent were closed in the first working week starting October 8, but the shutdown rate gradually decreased to six percent in the fourth week and just one percent in the sixth working week of November 12-16, according to the MAI survey.

At the same time, the rate of factories operating at full capacity increased from 12 per cent in the first week to 18 per cent in the sixth week, and the reports of factories' transport difficulties also dropped from 27 per cent to 13 per cent.

There has also been a sharp decline in the number of factories reporting the absence of more than half of their employees, dropping from 29 per cent in the first week to 12 per cent in the sixth week.

On the other hand, the rate of factories facing a worker shortage has remained high, with 62 per cent in the sixth week compared to 64 per cent in the first week.

The worker absence was mainly caused by military reserve service, parents staying home due to school and kindergarten closures, evacuation of workers from risk areas, restrictions on the entry of Palestinians into Israel, and foreign workers leaving for home.

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