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Sri Lankan Laborers to Bolster Israel’s Industrial Sector Amid Worker Shortages
Israel opens quota for 1,500 Sri Lankan workers to boost industrial sector amid labor shortages. Ministry prioritizes larger plants and small enterprises.
Jerusalem, 20 November, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s Ministry of Economy and Industry has opened a new quota for 1,500 unskilled workers from Sri Lanka to support the country’s industrial sector. The move, part of a bilateral agreement with Sri Lanka, aims to address labor shortages that have hampered production and innovation in recent years.
“Every day of labor shortage is a day of harm to production and innovation,” said the ministry’s Director General, Moti Hagay.
Priority will be given to industrial plants with 20 or more employees, separate production sites, and small enterprises previously employing Palestinian workers. The program complements ongoing efforts to bring tens of thousands of foreign workers from India and Sri Lanka to Israel in multiple sectors.
