Morocco’s national economy creates 133,000 jobs in Q2-2022, says HCP

The Moroccan economy has created 133,000 jobs in the second quarter of 2022, an increase of 1% compared to the same period last year, according to the High Commission for Planning’s (HCP) recent note on the labor market.

“The increase comes as the result of the creation of 285,000 jobs in urban areas (+5%) and a loss of 152,000 in rural areas (-3%),” added HCP.

Regarding employment, 299,000 paid jobs were created, resulting in the creation of 307,000 in urban areas and a loss of 8,000 in rural areas, said the same source.

Unpaid employment fell by 166,000 positions, a loss of 144,000 in rural areas and 22,000 in urban areas, further specified HCP.

The activity rate dropped by 45.2%, 0.9 points, compared to the same period of 2021, added the same source.

HCP said this decline is driven by the increase in the population of working age (15 years and over) by 1.4%, and a decline in the working population by 1%.

This drop was witnessed in rural areas (-2.1 points), from 52.9% to 50.8%, than in urban areas (-0.3 points), from 42.6% to 42.3%, added the same source.

In terms of gender, the decline in the labor market was more among women (-1.2 points), from 22.5% to 21.3%, than men (-0.7 points), from 70.6% to 69.9%.

The employment rate remained stable at 40.2% at the national level, after an increase of 0.8% in urban areas (from 34.9% to 35.7%) and a drop by 1.7% in rural areas (from 50.4% to 48.7%), added HCP.

This rate rose by 0.7% among men and fell by 0.9% among women, according to the same source.