Casablanca – The unemployment rate in Morocco has reached alarming levels, with recent data from the General Census of Population and Housing (RGPH) for 2024 showing a rise to 21.3%, compared to 16.2% in 2014. This increase highlights the growing economic challenges faced by the country, particularly for women and rural areas, where unemployment rates are significantly higher.

The findings of the RGPH reveal that only 41.6% of Moroccans aged 15 and above are engaged in economic activities, down from 47.6% in 2014. The decline is more pronounced among men, whose employment rate dropped from 75.5% to 67.1%, while women saw a smaller decrease from 20.4% to 16.8%.

Despite a net creation of 213,000 jobs between the third quarter of 2023 and 2024, the number of unemployed individuals increased by 58,000, with the unemployment rate rising to 13.6%, up from 13.5% a year earlier. These figures underscore the complexities of Morocco’s labor market, where job creation does not necessarily translate into lower unemployment.

Geographically, the unemployment issue is not evenly distributed. Urban areas saw the unemployment rate increase from 19.3% to 21.2%, while rural areas experienced a more significant jump from 10.5% to 21.4%. The crisis continues to disproportionately affect women, whose unemployment rate stands at 25.9% in 2024, compared to 20.1% for men.

The regional disparities in unemployment are also striking. Some regions report rates far above the national average, such as Guelmim-Oued Noun at 31.5%, Oriental at 30.4%, Béni Mellal-Khénifra at 26.8%, Laayoune-Sakia Hamra at 26.6%, and Fès-Meknès at 23.3%. In contrast, areas like Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab (10.6%), Casablanca-Settat (18.8%), Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceima (19.6%), Souss-Massa (19.7%), and Rabat-Salé-Kénitra (19.8%) report relatively lower unemployment rates.

These figures paint a concerning picture of the Moroccan labor market, where efforts to tackle unemployment are facing significant hurdles. With economic growth stagnating and structural challenges in the education system and labor market, the country faces a pressing need for comprehensive and sustainable solutions to address unemployment, especially among the youth and women, and to reduce the widening regional gaps in job opportunities.