(Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Despite the economic depression, Jewish industry in Palestine is in a stronger position than at the beginning of the crisis, according to the Trade and Industry Department of the Zionist Executive, which, in a statement giving the results of the third industrial census, reports that the number of factories in November 1923 was 279, with 2,331 persons employed and an invested capital of £ 966,548. By July, 1925, according to the corrected list, the figures had risen to 547 factories, 5,000 employed and £ 2,000,000 invested capital. In July, 1926, there were 592 factories. 5,711 persons employed and a capital invested of £ 1,648,227.
If the Palestine Electric Corporation, which did not furnish data this year or last year be taken into consideration, it is estimated that the respective figures will be brought up to 592 factories, 6,000 employed and an invested capital of £ 163,2,300,000.
Although ninety-four Jewish industrial undertakings closed down since last year’s statement was compiled, it is very likely that a number of these will re-open. In the majority of cases, the invested capital, in the form of machinery, is still available and the investment represented by this dead capital is considerable. A large number of industries figures in last year’s list have been omitted from the present statement, when of insufficient importance. The addition of the capital represented by these undertakings would have resulted in a considerably larger figure, the statement declared.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
