There is a 65% increase in the number of chareidim employed in Jerusalem�s high-tech industry over the past four years, representing 2,600 workers in 250 factories, which represent 64% of the factories in the capital.

According to Ron Tutnauer, who heads the Jerusalem District of the Israel Manufacturers Association in honor of Israel�s 60th anniversary. He added that the number represents an eight-fold increase in the number of chareidim over the past eight years.

Many of the chareidi workers are employed as software programmers, and they generally represent between 2% and 10% of a factory�s employees.

Some 240 industries in the capital do not employ chareidim at all and 160 employ up to 10% chareidim. A portion of the factories do have special food demands to accommodate the chareidi workers as well as a designated place for davening.

Tutnauer adds that in Jerusalem there are a number of bodies certifying chareidim in the technology field.

Nationwide, 20,000 workers who categorize themselves as chareidim are employed in high-tech, with 11,000 being women.

(Yechiel Spira � YWN Israel)