Unemployment in Morocco continues to rise… Details (Delegation)

Agadir24 | Agadir24/A.M.E

The High Commission for Planning reported that the unemployment rate reached 13.1 percent during the second quarter of 2024.

The delegation explained, in its latest news note on the situation of the labor market, that “the unemployment rate rose by 0.7 points, between the second quarter of 2023 and the second quarter of 2024, moving from 12.4 percent to 13.1 percent.”

She added that the unemployment rate rose from 16.3 percent to 16.7 percent in urban areas (plus 0.4 points), and from 5.7 percent to 6.7 percent in rural areas (plus 1 point), noting that this rate also recorded an increase of 0.7 points among women and men, moving, respectively, from 17 percent to 17.7 percent, and from 11 percent to 11.7 percent.

According to the same source, the number of unemployed people increased by 90,000 people, between the second quarter of 2023 and the same quarter of 2024, moving from 1,543,000 to 1,633,000 unemployed, which represents an increase of 6 percent (plus 48,000 in urban areas and 42,000 in rural areas).

The delegation also reported that the unemployment rate increased by 2.5 points among young people aged between 15 and 24 years, moving from 33.6 percent to 36.1 percent, by 1.6 points among people aged between 25 and 34 years, moving from 19.8 percent to 21.4 percent, by 0.1 points among people aged between 35 and 44 years, moving from 7.2 percent to 7.3 percent, and by 0.1 points among people aged 45 years and over, moving from 3.6 percent to 3.7 percent.

For its part, the unemployment rate among people with a diploma rose by 0.2 points, moving from 19.2 percent to 19.4 percent. This increase was more severe among those with secondary school diplomas (plus 3.2 points), where it rose to 26.1 percent.

In terms of the number of active workers in a situation of underemployment, between the second quarter of 2023 and the same quarter of 2024, it increased from 983,000 to 1,042,000 people nationwide (from 549,000 to 552,000 in urban areas and from 434,000 to 490,000 in rural areas).

Thus, the underemployment rate increased from 9 percent to 9.6 percent at the national level, from 8.4 percent to 8.3 percent in urban areas, and from 9.9 percent to 11.6 percent in rural areas.

As for underemployment linked to the number of working hours, it increased from 465,000 to 583,000 people nationwide. The associated rate rose from 4.2 percent to 5.4 percent.

The number of active workers in situations of underemployment linked to insufficient income or mismatch of work with qualifications increased from 518,000 to 459,000 people nationwide. The rate of this type of underemployment increased from 4.7 percent to 4.2 percent.

According to the economic activity sector, the underemployment rate increased by 1.7 points in the construction and public works sector (from 17.2 percent to 18.9 percent) and by 1.9 points in the agriculture, forestry and fishing sector (from 9.6 percent to 11.5 percent).

In contrast, this rate recorded a decline of 0.3 points in the industrial sector, including traditional industry, (from 5.3 percent to 5 percent), and remained stable at 7.7 percent in the services sector.