The unemployment rate in Morocco increased to 13.7% between Q1 of 2023 and 2024, as the number of unemployed individuals increased by 6% (rising from 1,549,000 to 1,645,000) during the same period, according to the Morocco Statistics and Forecasts Office’s (HCP) report on the labor market situation in 2024.
HCP noted that the unemployment rate increased from 17.1% to 17.6% in urban areas and from 5.7% to 6.8% in rural areas. The rate also went up among women–from 18.1% to 20.1%–and among men, from 11.5% to 12%.
The spike in the number of unemployed individuals was primarily seen in urban areas, with 59,000 more unemployed people, as compared to 38,000 more unemployed individuals in rural areas.
Among different age groups, the unemployment rate for young people aged 15 to 24 increased from 35.3% to 35.9%. For individuals aged 25-34, the rate rose from 20.9% to 22%. For those aged 35-44, it climbed from 7.1% to 8%, and for those aged 45+, it ticked up from 3.8% to 4.5%.
The unemployment rate among graduates also increased from 19.8% to 20.3%. This increase is more pronounced among holders of vocational or professional specialization degrees, along with those possessing secondary vocational education degrees.
The number of individuals considered to be underemployed decreased slightly, from 1,075,000 to 1,069,000 at the national level, with decreases also in urban areas from 573,000 to 571,000 and in rural areas from 502,000 to 499,000. The underemployment rate remained steady at 10.3% nationally; however, it increased from 12.1% to 12.5% in rural areas and decreased from 9.1% to 9.0% in urban areas.
Just over 71% of the unemployed individuals are concentrated in the Casablanca-Settat region, comprising 25.4% of the total unemployed population, followed by the Fes-Meknes region (13.4%), the Rabat-Sale-Kenitra region (13%), the Eastern region (10%), and the Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region (9.4%).
The eastern region recorded the highest levels of unemployment at 21.4%, followed by the southern regions at 20.4%. Conversely, the Casablanca-Settat region (15.4%) and the Fes-Meknes region (15.9%) exceeded the national average of 13.7%. On the other hand, the Marrakech-Safi, Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima, and Draa-Tafilalet regions reported the lowest unemployment rates at 8.2%, 10.9%, and 11.3%, respectively.