Special circumstances define the Palestinian economy.
Since 1994, the number of jobs available in Israel has dropped, and cross-border restrictions on the movement of goods and people have led to a reduction of commercial activity. Economic conditions have trended downward since the 1993 signing of the Oslo Agreement. Unemployment was at 16 percent in 1998. By the year 2000, it is expected that over 30,000 loans will have been disbursed. The two banks are expected to provide more than 3,000 loans by the year 2000.