Join on WhatsApp
Join on Telegram
Agadir – Morocco’s labor market showed a shift in the first quarter of 2026, as the number of people in paid employment surpassed 10 million, according to the High Commission for Planning (HCP).
In its latest note on the labor market, based on findings from the new Labor Force Survey (EMO 2026), the HCP reported that the total labor force, comprising employed individuals and the unemployed, reached 11,62 million during the first three months of the year. Approximately 63.6% of this population resides in urban areas.
The data pointed out gender disparities. Women account for just 21% of the labor force, despite representing a dominant share of the non-labor force population at 71.2%. This imbalance reflects ongoing barriers to female participation in economic activity.
Morocco’s working-age population (aged 15 and above) stood at 27.8 million in Q1 2026. The HCP divides this group into two distinct categories: the labor force and the non-labor force population, which includes individuals outside formal economic activity, as well as those in the potential labor force.
The national labor force participation rate reached 41.8%, with slight variations between urban (41%) and rural areas (43.3%). However, the gender gap remains pronounced, with participation among men standing at 66.4%, compared to only 17.5% for women.
Age also plays a key role in labor market engagement. Participation rates were highest among individuals aged 25-34 (56.7%) and 35-44 (56.5%), followed by those aged 45 and above (38%). Young people aged 15-24 recorded the lowest participation rate at 23.4%.
For employment, the number of people holding income-generating jobs reached 10,364,000, with 61.7% based in urban areas. Women make up just 19.7% of the employed population, further pointing to the gender imbalances in access to jobs.
The employment-to-population ratio stood at 37.3% nationwide, 35.5% in urban areas, and 40.7% in rural regions. The ratio reaches 60.1% for men but drops sharply to 14.7% for women.
By age group, employment rates peak among those aged 35-44 at 52.8%, followed by individuals aged 25-34 at 47.6%. The rate declines to 36.4% among those aged 45 and above and falls to its lowest level 16.6% among youth aged 15-24.
The HCP noted that the 2026 Labor Market Survey adopted a new system aligned with international standards adopted by the International Labor Organization (ILO) through recent International Conferences of Labor Statisticians.
It replaces the previous National Employment Survey and aims to provide more accurate and globally comparable labor market indicators.
