Morocco’s Unemployment Rate Drops to 8.5% as Service Sector Boosts Job Creation

Fewer Moroccans are unemployed in the Kingdom. The rate is now set at 8.5% nationally in the second quarter of 2019, according to the latest note from the High Commission for Planning on the labor market situation. Thus, unemployment fell by 1.5 points in the second quarter compared to the first of the current year.

According to the same source, the services sector is the main contributor to this notable progress, with the creation of 167,000 jobs, including 132,000 in urban areas, between the second quarter of 2018 and the second quarter of 2019.

In predominantly rural sectors such as agriculture, forestry and fishing, it’s the opposite. These sectors have recorded a net loss of 176,000 jobs.

Furthermore, young people aged 19 to 25 are constantly looking for work. And the choice is quickly made: they opt for military service, which has just been reestablished in the country. This service offers them the opportunity to undergo vocational training. Moreover, they also receive a monthly allowance ranging from 96 to 185 euros. They also have the possibility of being enlisted in the army if they show the required skills. In total, 2,585 conscripts belong to the first wave of those qualified for military service.