While the incidence of poverty among the Jewish, non-Haredi population (based on the relative measure of poverty generally used in Israel) in 2006 was only 13 percent, among the Arabs and the ultra-orthodox the rates were 57 percent and 58 percent respectively. This is linked to the low employment rates in those two sectors, mainly among ultra-orthodox men, and Arab women.
A closer look at employment among Arabs reveals an even more complex picture. An analysis of the figures in the CBS Income Surveys and the Manpower Surveys reveal several findings worthy of attention: 1)  The participation rate among Arab women is rising, but it is still lower than that among Jewish women.