Morocco’s Unemployment Rate Remains Higher Than Pre-COVID Levels

Rabat – Morocco’s unemployment rate went up by 0.5% in the second quarter of 2021, increasing from 12.3% recorded in the first quarter of 2021, according to the latest data presented by the country’s High Commission for Planning (HCP).

The national unemployment rate currently stands at 12.8%, with unemployment rates especially high in rural areas among youth aged 15 to 24, degree holders, and women, HCP explained. 

In rural areas, unemployment rates jumped from 15.6% to 18.2% in the second quarter of 2021, with an increase of over 220.000  in the number of unemployed people.

While the overall national rate of unemployment saw an increase in the second quarter of 2021, it decreased from 7.2% to 4.8%, in urban areas with the number of unemployed diminishing by 100.000 thousand people.

The decrease in unemployment in urban areas was overshadowed by the sharp increase in rural unemployment that saw an addition of 228.000 to the already high numbers. 

The employment rate remains higher than pre-pandemic levels, notes the HCP. The second quarter of 2021 saw the national unemployment rate rise by +0.9% points, marking an increase from last quarter’s 39.3% to 40.2% in this quarter. 

The increase is largely thanks to the significant increase from 46.0% to 50.4% in the employment rate in urban areas, while the employment score dropped in rural areas from 35.6% to 34.9% over the same period. 

Regarding the gender distribution of the employment rate, the commission explains that employment rose by +0.4% for the male segment, from 61.8% to 62.2%, while the same score gained +1.4% for the female segment of the population, rising from 17.5% to 18.9%. 

The overall employment score in the second quarter of 2021 remains below the pre-COVID economic crisis of 42.1% recorded in the second quarter of 2019, according to HCP. 

Currently, Morocco is home to 1.605.000 unemployed, and HCP does not expect any substantial improvement as the country is still grappling with the socio-economic fallout of the COVID crisis.