Lockdown: 58% of Moroccan Households Have a Member Who Stopped Work

Rabat – The Moroccan High Commission for Planning (HCP) has issued a report on the economic situation of Moroccan households given the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is part of its second panel on the impact of COVID-19 on the socio economic and psychological situation of Moroccan households.

The report first targeted the temporary work stoppage among Moroccans, due to the COVID-19 crisis, by assessing a sample of 2,169 Moroccan households.

HCP revealed that two out of three employed individuals had to temporarily stop work due to the lockdown, which translates to 66.2% of employed Moroccans within the studied population.

This includes 88% from the handicraft sector, and 79% from non-agricultural sectors.

By category, the workers hardest-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic are independent workers and employers, of whom 74% had to stop work, employees (65%), construction workers (84%), and industrial workers (75%).

Over 58% of Moroccan households have at least one member who temporarily stopped working due to the lockdown.

This includes 56% in urban areas and 62% in rural areas.

On the other hand, HCP revealed that one-third of workers who temporarily stopped working have returned to their jobs.

Approximately 53% of those who stopped working due to the COVID-19-induced lockdown have not yet returned to work.

Meanwhile, 36% have resumed their activity. Approximately 11% are looking for new employment.

Demographics of affected Moroccan households

HCP recorded more activity resumption in urban areas than rural areas, with 39% against 31%, respectively.

By gender, 31% of women have resumed work activity while 22% have become jobless or inactive. In contrast, 38% of men have resumed activity, and 7% lost their jobs or become inactive.

Across social classes, 31% of workers within the 40% of Morocco’s most economically-challenged Moroccan households have temporarily stopped working due to the lockdown. 

This proportion reaches 44% among the 20% wealthiest Moroccan households.

Over 48% of those who stopped working during the lockdown consider the main reason behind their suspension of work to be the closure of businesses or the reduction of staff. This proportion reaches 70% among employees.

Remote work

HCP also shared that remote work is a prerogative of bosses and executives. Approximately 62% of senior managers chose to work remotely, including 47% exclusively working remotely.

Approximately 15% chose to alternate remote work with their physical presence.

Among all individuals who are currently employed, 16% have adopted remote work during the lockdown, including 24% of women and 13% of men.

Approximately 31% of workers in the service sector work remotely, including 21% who are employees and 10% who are employers or independent workers.