At the start of 2026, Morocco’s official jobless metrics shifted significantly following a methodological overhaul by the Haut-Commissariat au Plan, which replaced its former national employment survey with a new workforce survey aligned with International Labour Organization standards, according to a recent World Bank report.
Under the previous methodology used in 2025, Morocco recorded an unemployment rate of 13%. The new survey brings that figure down to 10.8%. However, the World Bank warns that this comparison requires careful interpretation, as part of the decline stems from the statistical reclassification of individuals who want to work but are no longer actively searching for a job.
To be officially counted as unemployed under the updated standards, a person must simultaneously meet three strict conditions. An individual must have performed no paid work during the studied week, must have actively sought employment over the preceding four weeks, and must be available to start working within a two-week window. Individuals who want a job but fail to meet all three criteria fall out of narrow unemployment measures and enter a newly designated classification known as potential labor force, which heavily impacts discouraged workers who gave up searching after unsuccessful attempts.
Shifting Definitions and the 884,000 Discouraged Workers
The updated framework also tightens the definition of employment itself. Only activities conducted in exchange for a salary or profit are now counted, meaning unpaid family assistance and certain individuals producing primarily for their own subsistence are classified separately. While this new presentation lowers the official headline jobless rate, it simultaneously exposes a much deeper labor underutilization crisis across the country.
During the first quarter of 2026, Morocco counted 884,000 people who wanted to work but had stopped actively looking for a job, with the majority of this group living in urban areas. Integrating these discouraged individuals into a broader measurement pushes the rate from 10.8% up to 17.1%. Adding workers who are underemployed—meaning they work less than they desire—brings the total global labor underutilization rate to 22.5%.
Did You Know? Under the updated International Labour Organization standards adopted in early 2026, a jobseeker must now satisfy three concurrent criteria—including active job search within four weeks and availability within two weeks—to be classified strictly as unemployed.
Severe Impacts on Youth and Female Labor Participation
Labor market pressures weigh heaviest on specific demographics. When combining strict unemployment figures with the potential labor force, the affected share climbs to 40.4% among young people and 27.9% among women. The new methodology also adjusts the overall general participation rate down from 43.5% to 41.8%, while female participation drops from 19% to 17.5%.
According to the World Bank, these downward shifts do not signal a sudden economic deterioration of the labor market. Instead, they reflect the statistical movement of specific groups that were previously grouped inside the broader active population.
Expert Insight: Shifting baseline metrics offers administrative clarity aligned with international standards, but policymakers must look beyond headline rates to address the real economic friction facing hundreds of thousands of discouraged workers, particularly among urban youth and women.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the new unemployment rate in Morocco?
The new workforce survey places the unemployment rate at 10.8% for the period, compared to 13% recorded in 2025 under the older methodology.
What defines the potential labor force?
It includes individuals who want to work but do not meet all three strict criteria for unemployment, notably discouraged workers who stopped searching for jobs after unsuccessful attempts.
How does labor underutilization change when including all affected groups?
When adding the potential labor force, the rate rises to 17.1%, and when further including underemployed workers who work less than desired, total labor underutilization reaches 22.5%.
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