CNDH President Bouayach: Informal Labor Remains Prevalent in Morocco

Rabat – Informal labor remains prevalent in Morocco, causing deep implications for the nation’s economic growth and social cohesion, said Amina Bouayach, President of the National Human Rights Council on Monday.

In an address to the Eighth Parliamentary Forum on Social Justice, Bouayach sounded the alarm about the state of the shadow economy in Morocco, explaining that it creates disparities in terms of working hours, wages, and productivity.

“Official data confirms that workers in the informal sector work an average of 145 hours more per year than their counterparts in the formal and organized sectors while receiving an average wage five times lower,” he said.

As of 2022, over 70% of Morocco’s labor market operates in the informal economy, the highest in the region, according to data from the World Bank (WB).

The CNDH chief’s remarks underscored the prevalence of unstructured labor and its profound implications for the nation’s economic growth and social cohesion.

Bouayach emphasized the paramount importance of “decent work” as not merely a privilege but a fundamental human right, saying it is essential for fostering sustainable development.

She lamented, however, that despite ongoing efforts to bolster the economy and generate employment opportunities, the Moroccan labor market continues to grapple with significant hurdles, particularly the dominance of unstructured labor.

Bouayach further drew attention to the pronounced gender disparities entrenched within the labor market. Women hold disproportionately lower employment rates and are disproportionately represented in the informal sector.

“The proportion of informal female employment has surged to a staggering 67.6% of total female employment,” she said. The trend is even more alarming considering the low women’s participation rate in the labor market in the country.

As of 2022, female participation in the labor market was at a mere 20%, down from 22% in 2021. A recent World Bank report warned that Morocco is the only country in the Middle East and North Africa that has witnessed a consistent drop in female labor participation in the past few years.

According to Bouayach, existing measures aiming to provide meaningful employment prospects for Morocco’s burgeoning youth population fall short of what is needed.

“Despite efforts to stimulate economic growth and attract private investment, the youth unemployment rate remains unacceptably high,” she remarked, urging stakeholders to prioritize innovative strategies to address this pressing issue and harness the potential of young Moroccans.

Bouayach stressed the need to integrate marginalized groups, such as women and youth, into economic activities for social stability and sustainable development.

She equally shed light on the need for comprehensive policy frameworks that prioritize the creation of decent and dignified employment opportunities for all citizens.

“Providing decent work is building human capital, ladies and gentlemen, as it is one of the challenges of social justice, necessarily based on maintaining human dignity, which is not just a philosophical concept but refers to a comprehensive, integrated, and indivisible rights agenda,” she concluded.