Women's average salary in 2005 was less than half of that of men

The average salary for a woman in Israel in 2005 was NIS 5,395 before tax, less than half the average salary for a man, according to a report issued Monday by the Industry and Trade Ministry to mark International Women's Day on March 8.

The figures show that women's average salary was 58 percent lower than that of their male counterparts. When it comes to the number of hours worked, however, the divide is significantly smaller.

In 2005, women worked an average of 35.4 hours per week, 23 percent less than the average 45.8 weekly working hours for men. Even when this is factored into salary calculations, women still earn 22.5 percent less than men.

The ministry report also found that just 3.2 percent of salaried women workers held management positions, compared with 5.7 percent of men.

In the hi-tech industry, nearly four times the number of men were in top paying jobs, with just 2.4 percent of the female workforce holding such positions, as compared to 8.4 percent of men.