Communicated by Central Bureau of Statistics Spokesman Jerusalem, 2 February 1999 57,000 IMMIGRANTS IN 1998   The Central Bureau of Statistics reported that a total of 57,000 immigrants arrived in Israel during 1998, 46,000 from the CIS. There has been a decline in immigration from all countries except for Ethiopia. The declining trend of immigration from the former Soviet Union, that began in 1994, continues. Since 1989, a total of 903,100 immigrants have arrived in Israel, 85% (771,500) from the former Soviet Union. 84% of these immigrants have come from the former European republics and the remainder from Central Asian republics. 21,000 immigrants came from Ukraine in 1998, 4,000 less than in 1997. 3,200 immigrants came from Europe (excluding the former USSR), of which 1,700 were from France; 3,200 from the Americas and Oceania (mainly the United States and Argentina), compared to 4,100, 1,900 and 4,200 immigrants from these regions respectively in 1997. The median age of immigrants in 1998 was 30.0, compared to 30.7 in 1997, while the percentage of aged dropped to 9.9% from 10.7%. 27% of the immigrants declared that they had academic or scientific degrees, including 4,400 engineers and 900 doctors and dentists; 34% belonged to other free professions, including technicians; 16% were skilled and unskilled workers in industry, construction and transportation. The remainder declared themselves to be clerks, sales workers, service sector employees or agricultural workers.