Informal Workers in North Africa Face Economic Crisis Amid Pandemic Lockdowns

Since the announcement of drastic measures by the Maghreb countries to effectively deal with the pandemic, some activities have been suspended, during the state of emergency decreed by the authorities. "We are stuck at home, without work and without pay. The boss paid us for the month of February and told us he won’t pay for March, but we can’t say anything," explains Hakim, a 30-year-old young father, employed as a waiter in a bar-restaurant in Rabat.

He works in the informal sector, like many artisans, day laborers, street vendors, messengers, caretakers, cleaners, construction workers, who are worried about their survival. "There are no more customers. At the same time, vegetable prices have skyrocketed," fumes Mohamed, a plumber and father of three, who works on his own in a working-class neighborhood of Rabat.

While the situation is the same in the three countries, it is particularly critical in Morocco. According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), "the country is marked by great inequalities, with a very low activity rate (less than 50%) and an informal employment rate of 79.9% compared to 63.3% in Algeria or 58.8% in Tunisia". Faced with the social risk, Morocco has already adopted aid measures for companies, monthly bonuses of 2,000 dirhams (about 190 euros) for employees affiliated to social security who lose their jobs, as well as, for everyone, postponement of deadlines for consumer loans.

Tunisia, with an inflation rate of 7% and a soaring unemployment rate, has also announced a support plan for businesses and individuals totaling 2.5 billion dinars, or more than 800 million euros, including about 50 million euros in the form of bonuses for the most destitute. But "it will take time, and it is below the real needs," notes Abdeljelili Bedoui, a member of the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES), a local NGO.

In Algeria, on the other hand, the informal sector would represent between 40 and 50% of GDP. The closure of cafes and restaurants, the suspension of public transport and the partial confinement decreed on Monday evening in Algiers and the Blida region, are not helping matters. "Who will cook for us, who will keep us alive? We don’t even have enough to buy masks or gel to protect ourselves," complains Zohra. 50 years old, she has four children and an unemployed husband to support.

Algeria is the most affected of the three countries by the pandemic, with 230 officially recorded cases, including 17 deaths and 65 recoveries, according to figures available on Wednesday morning.