The economy is showing signs of improvement, according to figures released on Thursday by the central statistics agency CBS. Unemployment was down for the fifth month in a row and consumer confidence improved slightly.

The number of people out of work in July dropped by 4,000 to 5.7% of the population compared with 5.2% in the same month of 2009. Since March 2010 unemployment has been dropping by an average of 5,000 a month.
Consumer confidence rose from -14 in July to -11 in August, says the CBS.