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Morocco Unemployment Falls to 9.5% in Q2 2026, Gains in Rural Areas
The High Commission for Planning (HCP) reports that Morocco’s strict unemployment rate dropped to 9.5 % in the second quarter of 2026, down 1.3 points from the previous quarter. The decline is most pronounced in rural areas and among younger workers, while gender gaps remain wide, with women facing a 14.8 % unemployment rate versus 8.1 % for men.
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Key Figures for Q2 2026
Overall strict unemployment: 9.5 % (down from 10.8 % in Q1).
Urban vs. rural: 11.9 % in urban areas, 5.4 % in rural areas.
Gender breakdown: 14.8 % for women, 8.1 % for men.
Age groups:
- 15‑24 years: 27.2 % (down 2 points).
- 25‑34 years: 14.5 % (down 1.6 points).
- 35‑44 years: 5.7 % (down 0.8 points).
- 45 years and above: 3.4 % (down 0.8 points).
Education Level Impact
Unemployment is highest among those with advanced diplomas (16.7 %) and intermediate diplomas (16 %). Those with only a basic diploma face 11.4 % unemployment, while individuals without any diploma record the lowest rate at 3.8 %.
Combined Unemployment & Under‑Employment
The combined rate of strict unemployment and under‑employment (people working less than they would like) stands at 14 % nationwide, with 15.9 % in urban zones and 10.8 % in rural zones. Women are more affected (17.6 %) than men (13 %). This combined metric fell by 2.6 points from the previous quarter.
Potential Labour Force Pressure
The “potential labour force” indicator, which gauges the current and future pressure on the job market, is 14.7 % overall (17.3 % urban, 10 % rural). The gender gap is stark: 24.2 % for women versus 11.9 % for men.
Volume of Unemployment
In absolute terms, 1,121,000 people were counted as strictly unemployed in Q2 2026 – 79.3 % residing in urban areas and 33.3 % being women. This represents a drop of 132,000 jobless individuals compared with Q1 2026.
Additionally, 527,000 workers are under‑employed due to insufficient working hours, with 56 % located in urban zones. The potential labour force amounts to 711,000 people, representing 4.4 % of the non‑working‑age population.
These figures are provisional and will be refined as more quarterly observations become available for 2026.