The employment situation in Morocco is getting worse and McKinsey & Company can’t do anything about it. According to figures revealed Tuesday, December 17, by the High Commission for Planning (HCP), the unemployment rate has recorded a notable increase over the last decade, going from 16.2% in 2014 to 21.4% in 2024. .
During a press conference dedicated to the presentation of the detailed results of the general population census, Chakib Benmoussa, High Commissioner for Planning, highlighted a worrying increase in unemployment in both urban and rural areas. The rate increased from 19.3% to 21.2% in urban areas and from 10.5% to 21.4% in rural areas over the same period.
Women remain the most affected by this scourge, with an unemployment rate of 25.9% in 2024, slightly down compared to 29.6% in 2014. Men record a lower rate, but also increasing: 20 .1% in 2024 compared to 12.4% ten years ago.
A worrying drop in the activity rate
In addition to the rise in unemployment, the HCP highlights a significant decline in the activity rate. In 2024, only 41.6% of Moroccans aged 15 and over participate in economic activity, compared to 47.6% in 2014. This decline particularly affects women, whose activity rate increased from 20.4%. to 16.8%, while that of men fell from 75.5% to 67.1%.
The distribution between geographical areas also reveals disparities: the activity rate in urban areas fell from 49.1% in 2014 to 43.8% in 2024, compared to a more marked drop in rural areas (from 45.1% to 37.6%).
Marked regional differences
Regionally, the highest unemployment rates in 2024 are recorded in the regions of Guelmim-Oued Noun (31.5%), Oriental (30.4%), Béni Mellal-Khénifra (26. 8%), Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra (26.6%) and Fez-Meknes (23.3%).
Conversely, the lowest rates are found in the regions of Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab (10.6%), Casablanca-Settat (18.8%), Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceïma (19. 6%), Souss-Massa (19.7%) and Rabat-Salé-Kénitra (19.8%).
These figures reflect not only the failure of Aziz Akhannouch’s government but also a general deterioration of the labor market and underline the structural challenges facing Morocco in terms of job creation and the fight against social and regional inequalities.
