Young Moroccans are hit hardest by a 0.7 per cent rise in unemployment, the High Commission for Planning (HCP) reports.
Unemployment in Morocco rose in the second quarter of 2013.
The number of people without jobs grew by 100,000 to a total of 1,049,000, according to a High Commission for Planning (HCP) report published on August 5th.
The national jobless rate now stands at 8.8 per cent, up from 8.1 per cent a year ago. The rate climbed from 12.3 per cent to 13.8 per cent in urban areas, but dropped from 3.5 per cent to 3.2 per cent in rural areas, the HCP reported.
Young people are the most affected.
The unemployment rate for youths, 15 to 24, rose from 17.1 per cent to 18.4 per cent. For non-graduates, it increased from 3.5 per cent to 4.3 per cent.
Other statistics in the report show that four out of five jobseekers live in cities; two thirds are aged between 15 and 29; one in four has a higher-level diploma; half are seeking a first job and nearly two out of three have been out of work for more than a year.
Various factors complicate the problem, sociologist Samira Kassimi said.
“Layoffs and business failures are the chief causes of unemployment during this time of crisis. Next is the mass influx of graduates into the labour market, which cannot absorb them all. Even non-graduates are unable to find a job after they finish their studies, because they aren’t skilled in any trades,” she said.
The Moroccan government appears to be trying to tackle this challenge as best it can. “The government has a multi-tiered strategy to reduce the jobless rate,” Employment Minister Abdelouahed Souhail said.
Among other measures, it calls for encouraging and boosting investment; building up workforce skills; tailoring training to employers’ needs; linking education systems; and developing job-stimulating schemes.
To that end, the African Development Bank (AfDB) just granted Morocco 116 million euros (1.3 billion dirhams) to implement employment projects. As part of a new deal to introduceunemployment benefits in Morocco, starting next year the National Agency for the Promotion of Employment and Skills is to provide workers who have lost their jobs with training to help them get new ones.
The government should accelerate its efforts to curb unemployment and address employers’ needs, economist Mehdi Chatibi said.
“We are seeing a contradiction. On the one hand, unemployment is rife among young people. On the other hand, the labour market needs people with skill sets that are hard to find,” he said.
“We need to focus on education and vocational training by guiding young people toward the subjects required by businesses. A study should be carried out to this end. The government also needs to encourage investment so that more jobs can be created,” Chatibi added.
To help identify labour market needs, the government says it will set up a centre for monitoring employment trends and using data to gauge the effectiveness of vocational training programmes.
The government plans to launch new hiring schemes in the near future to make young job seekers more attractive to prospective employers, by combining training with work placements.
By Siham Ali in Rabat for Magharebia
