About the data

Longitudinal survey to assess the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on Inequality in Israel

The initial population of the longitudinal survey is made of adult Israeli men and women (age 18+), who were employed or self-employed in the first week of March, prior to the lockdown of the economy. The data were collected by Panel4all, an online research company that holds an internet panel of tens of thousands Israeli panelists, representing the adult population of Israel. The survey is not a probability sample of the population as only those registered with the panel can be sampled, though it is a sample of the panelist, stratified by age, gender, geographical region, and religiosity. Internet surveys, such as the one we use here, are a very common practice nowadays, and were used extensively in the last three election campaigns in Israel, with quite accurate predictions. We plan to collect data every two months, through August 2020. Thereafter, we plan a quarterly survey, to the end of 2021.

Figure 1 indicates on a time line the data collection waves and lockdown, with unemployment rates in Israel, by gender, estimated from our longitudinal data (dashed) and from labor force surveys (solid) in Israel. (CBS Media Release No. 021/2021 ). It clearly shows that our longitudinal survey estimates unemployment accurately, therefore validating our data.

Figure 1: 'Wide unemployment' (unemployment & unpaid leave) rates (own calculation and CBS), lockdowns and data collection wave


Wave 1 (April 23-May 4, end of 1st lockdown)

Wave one of the longitudinal survey includes 2,028 households with adult Israeli men and women (age 18+), who were employed or self-employed in the first week of March, prior to the lockdown of the economy. The survey was made and data collected between April 23 and May 4. This first wave includes information on employment and job characteristics of Israeli households in the first week of March (before the economic downturn) and in the last week of April (after the economy was shut down, but before it was reopened).

Wave 2 (June 21-July 1)

Wave two of the longitudinal survey includes 1,606 respondents, out of the 2,028 original survey (79% response rate). However, response rates were somewhat lower among young respondents (65%), Arabs (60%), and those who were in March in the lowest quintile (70%). In this wave, the information on employment and job characteristics of the original population was updated to June. This wave also includes a module on gender ideology.

Wave 3 (August 25-September 4)

Wave three of the longitudinal survey includes 1,423 respondents out of the 2,028 original survey (70%). 86% of those who participated in Wave 2, also participated in wave 3. 1,391 respondents participated in all three waves (69%). In this wave, the information on employment and job characteristics of the original population was updated to August.

Wave 4 (September 23-September 28, start of 2nd lockdown)

This wave (4) was unplanned, and was launched to capture changes in employment (paid and unpaid) patterns due to the second lockdown in Israel, which was started on September 18. Wave four of the longitudinal survey includes 1,432 respondents out of the 2,028 original sample (71%). Attrition from wave 2 to wave 4 was 13%, and attrition from wave 3 to wave 4 was 11%. 1,248 respondents participated in all four waves, representing 62% of the original sample.

Wave 5 (October 22-October 28, after 2nd lockdown)

Wave five of the longitudinal survey includes 1,468 respondents out of the 2,028 original sample (72%).

Wave 6 (December 24-28, before 3rd lockdown)

Wave six of the longitudinal survey includes 1,275 respondents out of the 2,028 original sample (63%).

Wave 7 (January 21-28, before 3rd lockdown)

Wave seven is the first wave of the longitudinal survey in 2021, and includes 1,372 respondents out of the 2,028 original sample (68%).