"The report, based on data from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, reinforces anecdotal evidence given by such people as one prominent Gaza construction employer who recently estimated that of more than 100 workers he was obliged to lay off because of a lack of materials, a majority had joined the Hamas police force or its military wing. Some diplomats have privately questioned the wisdom of a blockade which makes it easier for Hamas to recruit force members. The UN says that the burgeoning youth segment of the Palestinian labour force (15- to 24-year-olds) was "the ... most prone to increased unemployment"."