The economic cost of a reservist leaving a job for a month to perform military duty is higher than previously estimated, as the burden falls disproportionately on non-Haredi Jewish men who earn higher salaries, the Finance Ministry warned in a new report released on Tuesday.
The average economic cost of a reserve soldier is about NIS 53,000 ($17,790) per month, according to the study by the Finance Ministry’s chief economist’s division. The estimate is about 10 percent higher than the previous estimate from 2024, which was NIS 48,000. The Treasury said it switched from a calculation based on the average wage in the economy to examining the actual employment characteristics and wages of reservists.
The report showed that the burden of reserve duty falls disproportionately on non-ultra-Orthodox Jewish men aged 25 to 44 earning an average monthly salary of NIS 19,000, about 42% higher than similar workers who weren’t absent due to reserve duty.
In the second quarter of 2026, about 75% of employed reservists who were absent from work were aged 25-44, even though this age group only made up about 43% of the workforce, the Finance Ministry said.
A reservist in his 20s costs the state NIS 39,000 per month, up from NIS 33,000 in the previous estimate, while one in his 30s costs about NIS 68,000 versus NIS 54,000, the report showed.
