HCP: Urban Unemployment Rate 4 Times as High as Rural Unemployment

Rabat – Unemployment in Morocco dropped from 10.2 percent to 9.8 percent between 2017 and 2018, according to a High Commission for Planning (HCP) briefing note published on Tuesday.

In 2018, the economy created 112,000 jobs, 91,000 in urban areas and 21,000 in rural areas. The figure is up from 86,000 new jobs in 2017.

The services sector created the most new jobs at 65,000; followed by agriculture, forestry, and fisheries (19,000); construction (15,000); and industry and crafts (13,000).

In 2018, urban areas had a higher unemployment rate (14.2 percent) compared to rural areas (3.5 percent).

Rural youth unemployment dropped from 11.4 percent to 10.4 percent. Unemployment in urban youth aged 15 to 24 increased 0.4 percent.

The gap between men and women’s employment rates persisted in 2018. Women’s unemployment rate was 14 percent, compared to 8.4 percent among men.

The unemployment rate was significantly higher among women with vocational training (34.2 percent) than men (19.1 percent).

Read also: Report: Women Headed 1 in 5 Households in Morocco in 2017

Despite the male-female job disparity, unemployment in women dropped 0.7 percent between 2017 and 2018.

In some cases, holding a more advanced degree translated to a higher likelihood of employment. For example, the unemployment rate among holders of a vocational training diploma was 23.3 percent, higher than that of general education graduates (15.4 percent) and that of all graduates aged 15 and over (17.1 percent).

In contrast, unemployment among diploma-holders was 17.1 percent compared to 3.5 percent among non-diploma holders.

For young people aged 15 to 24, the rate was 26 percent, compared to 7.2 percent among people aged 25 and over, says the HCP.