Unemployment Rate Drops Again
17 September 2009
Read by 3437 persons
• It went from 9.8% in 2007 to 9.6% in 2008
• 20,000 jobs lost in rural areas
• Services and construction, main job providers
The Moroccan job market is doing well. This is shown by the national employment survey conducted by the High Commission for Planning (HCP), the figures of which have just been released. Thus, at the end of 2008, the national economy created some 133,000 net jobs (compared to 128,000 in 2007). Similarly, the unemployment rate fell to 14.7% in urban areas (compared to 15.4% in 2007) and 9.6% nationally (compared to 9.8% in 2007).
The active population, aged 15 and over, reached 11,267,000 people in 2008, an increase of 1.1% compared to the previous year (+2.2% in urban areas against -0.2% in rural areas). However, the activity rate fell slightly, from 51% in 2007 to 50.6% in 2008.
On the other hand, 310,000 paid jobs were created and 177,000 unpaid jobs were lost, resulting in a net job creation of 133,000 positions (+153,000 in cities and -20,000 in rural areas). As a result, the overall employment volume increased from 10,056,000 to 10,189,000 people between the two periods.
Furthermore, services are leading the sectors that generated new jobs with 102,000 positions, representing a 2.8% increase in the sector's employment volume. Followed by construction with 65,000 positions, an increase of 7.7%. Employment in the agricultural sector, on the other hand, fell nationally by 67,000 positions, a decrease of 1.6%. In urban areas, almost all economic activity sectors contributed to the creation of new jobs. Thus, services generated 80,000 new jobs, an increase of 2.6% in the sector's employment volume. For their part, construction contributed 39,000 jobs, an increase of 7.4%. Closely followed by industry with 30,000 jobs, an increase of 3%. Agriculture, forestry and fishing remain the weak link as they only generated 2,000 jobs, an increase of 0.6%. On the other hand, rural areas saw the loss of 20,000 jobs resulting from a decrease in agricultural employment of 68,000 positions and an increase in non-agricultural employment of 48,000 positions. The most significant job creation was observed in construction (26,000 positions) and services (22,000 positions).
It should also be noted that the unemployed active population increased nationally from 1,092,000 in 2007 to 1,078,000 unemployed in 2008, a decrease of 14,000 or a relative decrease of 1.3%. However, it should be noted that this decrease concerns exclusively urban areas, as the number of unemployed increased by 11,000 in rural areas. The most significant decreases in unemployment in urban areas were observed among young people aged 25 to 34 and among graduates.
Tarik HARI
Posted online February 10, 2009
leconomiste.com
• 20,000 jobs lost in rural areas
• Services and construction, main job providers
The Moroccan job market is doing well. This is shown by the national employment survey conducted by the High Commission for Planning (HCP), the figures of which have just been released. Thus, at the end of 2008, the national economy created some 133,000 net jobs (compared to 128,000 in 2007). Similarly, the unemployment rate fell to 14.7% in urban areas (compared to 15.4% in 2007) and 9.6% nationally (compared to 9.8% in 2007).
The active population, aged 15 and over, reached 11,267,000 people in 2008, an increase of 1.1% compared to the previous year (+2.2% in urban areas against -0.2% in rural areas). However, the activity rate fell slightly, from 51% in 2007 to 50.6% in 2008.
On the other hand, 310,000 paid jobs were created and 177,000 unpaid jobs were lost, resulting in a net job creation of 133,000 positions (+153,000 in cities and -20,000 in rural areas). As a result, the overall employment volume increased from 10,056,000 to 10,189,000 people between the two periods.
Furthermore, services are leading the sectors that generated new jobs with 102,000 positions, representing a 2.8% increase in the sector's employment volume. Followed by construction with 65,000 positions, an increase of 7.7%. Employment in the agricultural sector, on the other hand, fell nationally by 67,000 positions, a decrease of 1.6%. In urban areas, almost all economic activity sectors contributed to the creation of new jobs. Thus, services generated 80,000 new jobs, an increase of 2.6% in the sector's employment volume. For their part, construction contributed 39,000 jobs, an increase of 7.4%. Closely followed by industry with 30,000 jobs, an increase of 3%. Agriculture, forestry and fishing remain the weak link as they only generated 2,000 jobs, an increase of 0.6%. On the other hand, rural areas saw the loss of 20,000 jobs resulting from a decrease in agricultural employment of 68,000 positions and an increase in non-agricultural employment of 48,000 positions. The most significant job creation was observed in construction (26,000 positions) and services (22,000 positions).
It should also be noted that the unemployed active population increased nationally from 1,092,000 in 2007 to 1,078,000 unemployed in 2008, a decrease of 14,000 or a relative decrease of 1.3%. However, it should be noted that this decrease concerns exclusively urban areas, as the number of unemployed increased by 11,000 in rural areas. The most significant decreases in unemployment in urban areas were observed among young people aged 25 to 34 and among graduates.
Tarik HARI
Posted online February 10, 2009
leconomiste.com
