The Job Market Picks Up in Early 2010
10 May 2010
Read by 1414 persons
Text: The unemployment rate increases from 9.6% to 10%.
At a time when the effects of the economic and financial crisis are still present, analyses of the job market are welcome.
In this context, the latest information note from the High Planning Commission (HCP) on the job market situation in the first quarter of 2010 is well received by both economic operators and various observers. This note, which compares the job market between the first quarter of last year and this year, also discusses its evolution in different sectors.
The HCP's first observation is that the activity rate fell by 0.4 points, from 50.3% in the first quarter of 2009 to 49.9% in the same quarter of 2010. The other decrease compared to 2009 is that of the employment rate, which fell from 45.4% to 44.9%, a decrease of 0.5 points. This went from 38.2% to 37.8% in urban areas and from 55.8% to 55.4% in rural areas. However, the overall volume of employment increased slightly between the two periods, from 10,236,000 in 2009 to 10,304,000, representing a net job creation of 68,000 positions. These new positions are around 61,000 in urban areas and 7,000 in rural areas.
According to the same HCP data, "the new jobs created particularly benefited graduates with intermediate and higher education levels, who recorded increases of 3.5% and 2.6% respectively in their employment volume. In terms of professional status, 41,000 of the 68,000 new positions are paid jobs, paradoxically resulting from the creation of 76,000 positions in cities and a loss of 35,000 positions in rural areas.
The rest, or 27,000 positions, are unpaid jobs. They are the result of the creation of 42,000 positions in rural areas and a loss of 15,000 positions in urban areas," specifies the HCP note.
It should be recalled that the Minister of Employment recently announced (in an interview in this week's edition of our colleague Eco Plus) that "unlike several countries that experienced a recession, that is, a decrease or stagnation of their gross domestic product, the impact of the global crisis on the Moroccan economy was limited due to its low interdependence with the international financial sphere. The impact of the economic crisis was felt in certain export-oriented sectors, particularly the textile, leather, and automotive equipment industries," he said.
However, according to the HCP, job losses were recorded in the service sector, which experienced a loss of 26,000 positions (or -0.7%).
This is caused by the decline in employment in the "personal and domestic services" sectors (-24,500 positions) and in the "social services provided to the community" sector (-26,900 positions). On the other hand, an increase in the volume of employment of 16,700 positions concerned the "restaurants and hotels" sector and 14,000 positions in the "banks, insurance, real estate, and services provided to businesses" sector.
Similarly, at the sectoral level, job creation concerned "agriculture, forestry, and fishing" with 43,000 positions.
This represents an increase in employment in the sector of the order of 1.0%. Better results concern the construction sector, which created 31,000 positions, recording an increase of +3.3%, followed by industry with 11,000 positions (or +0.9%). Regarding the active population unemployed, the HCP document mentions an unemployment rate that increased from 9.6% to 10.0% between the first quarter of 2009 and the same period in 2010.
It also mentions the increase in the number of unemployed, which increased from 1,090,000 unemployed in the first quarter of 2009 to 1,139,000 in the first quarter of 2010.
This is an increase of 49,000 unemployed. What is paradoxical is that there are 51,000 more unemployed in cities and 2,000 fewer in rural areas.
Consistent Strategies
According to the Minister of Employment, Jamal Rhmani, the performance of the job market and its ability to create more jobs is the result of the coherent and integrated strategy followed by the State. He emphasizes that this strategy is based on two axes. The first is related to the economic policy that generates wealth and employment opportunities. This results from major development projects, including the plans for new strategies: Morocco Vert, the Emergence plan (220,000 jobs), the Azur plan, and Halieutis…
The second axis is represented by employment promotion programs (Idmaj, Taehil program...).
Published May 3, 2010
Posted online May 10, 2010
Le Matin
At a time when the effects of the economic and financial crisis are still present, analyses of the job market are welcome.
In this context, the latest information note from the High Planning Commission (HCP) on the job market situation in the first quarter of 2010 is well received by both economic operators and various observers. This note, which compares the job market between the first quarter of last year and this year, also discusses its evolution in different sectors.
The HCP's first observation is that the activity rate fell by 0.4 points, from 50.3% in the first quarter of 2009 to 49.9% in the same quarter of 2010. The other decrease compared to 2009 is that of the employment rate, which fell from 45.4% to 44.9%, a decrease of 0.5 points. This went from 38.2% to 37.8% in urban areas and from 55.8% to 55.4% in rural areas. However, the overall volume of employment increased slightly between the two periods, from 10,236,000 in 2009 to 10,304,000, representing a net job creation of 68,000 positions. These new positions are around 61,000 in urban areas and 7,000 in rural areas.
According to the same HCP data, "the new jobs created particularly benefited graduates with intermediate and higher education levels, who recorded increases of 3.5% and 2.6% respectively in their employment volume. In terms of professional status, 41,000 of the 68,000 new positions are paid jobs, paradoxically resulting from the creation of 76,000 positions in cities and a loss of 35,000 positions in rural areas.
The rest, or 27,000 positions, are unpaid jobs. They are the result of the creation of 42,000 positions in rural areas and a loss of 15,000 positions in urban areas," specifies the HCP note.
It should be recalled that the Minister of Employment recently announced (in an interview in this week's edition of our colleague Eco Plus) that "unlike several countries that experienced a recession, that is, a decrease or stagnation of their gross domestic product, the impact of the global crisis on the Moroccan economy was limited due to its low interdependence with the international financial sphere. The impact of the economic crisis was felt in certain export-oriented sectors, particularly the textile, leather, and automotive equipment industries," he said.
However, according to the HCP, job losses were recorded in the service sector, which experienced a loss of 26,000 positions (or -0.7%).
This is caused by the decline in employment in the "personal and domestic services" sectors (-24,500 positions) and in the "social services provided to the community" sector (-26,900 positions). On the other hand, an increase in the volume of employment of 16,700 positions concerned the "restaurants and hotels" sector and 14,000 positions in the "banks, insurance, real estate, and services provided to businesses" sector.
Similarly, at the sectoral level, job creation concerned "agriculture, forestry, and fishing" with 43,000 positions.
This represents an increase in employment in the sector of the order of 1.0%. Better results concern the construction sector, which created 31,000 positions, recording an increase of +3.3%, followed by industry with 11,000 positions (or +0.9%). Regarding the active population unemployed, the HCP document mentions an unemployment rate that increased from 9.6% to 10.0% between the first quarter of 2009 and the same period in 2010.
It also mentions the increase in the number of unemployed, which increased from 1,090,000 unemployed in the first quarter of 2009 to 1,139,000 in the first quarter of 2010.
This is an increase of 49,000 unemployed. What is paradoxical is that there are 51,000 more unemployed in cities and 2,000 fewer in rural areas.
Consistent Strategies
According to the Minister of Employment, Jamal Rhmani, the performance of the job market and its ability to create more jobs is the result of the coherent and integrated strategy followed by the State. He emphasizes that this strategy is based on two axes. The first is related to the economic policy that generates wealth and employment opportunities. This results from major development projects, including the plans for new strategies: Morocco Vert, the Emergence plan (220,000 jobs), the Azur plan, and Halieutis…
The second axis is represented by employment promotion programs (Idmaj, Taehil program...).
Published May 3, 2010
Posted online May 10, 2010
Le Matin
