In a context shaped by numerous restrictions imposed on economic and social activities to limit the spread of the Covid-19 virus, as well as by a poor agricultural campaign, the labour market in Morocco deteriorated significantly in 2020 with the loss of 432 thousand jobs, says Morocco’s central bank (Bank Al-Maghrib).
These jobs were concentrated mainly in the agriculture and services sectors, while the number of working hours fell by 20 percent, according to the report which was presented Saturday to HM the King by the Bank’s Governor Abdellatif Jouahri.
In addition, 111 thousand people left the labour market, resulting in a significant drop in the participation rate to 44.8 percent overall and to 19.9 percent among women. As a result, the unemployment rate recorded a sharp increase, reaching 11.9 percent at the national level, 15.8 percent in urban areas and 45.3 percent among young urban dwellers aged 15 to 24. These developments, combined with the GDP contraction, resulted in a 4.7 percent decline in apparent labour productivity in the non-agricultural sectors.
In 2020, the active population dropped by 0.9 percent to almost 12 million. This decline concerned only women, at a rate of 5.9 percent at the national level and 12.3 percent in rural areas, while it was 0.6 percent among men.
This evolution has resulted in a significant drop in the proportion of women within the active population, which has fallen from 23.8 percent to 22.6 percent, the source says. This population remains poorly qualified, with 50.6 percent having no diploma.
