Morocco’s strict unemployment rate rose to 10.5% in the third quarter of 2026, up from 9.5% in the second quarter. The number of unemployed reached 1.224 million out of a labor force of 11.69 million, compared with 1.121 million in Q2. Unemployment remained significantly higher among women, at 16.7%, versus 8.7% for men. Youth unemployment (ages 15–24) also worsened, climbing to 30.5% from 27.2% in the previous quarter.
Total employment fell to 10.47 million, down from 10.64 million in Q2, while the labor force participation rate stood at 42.2%. The services sector continued to be the main employer, providing 5.155 million jobs, or 49.2% of total employment. It was followed by agriculture with 2.425 million jobs, industry with 1.526 million, and construction with 1.356 million.
These figures come from the newly introduced EMO 2026 labor force survey, launched in the first quarter of 2026 and aligned with updated international statistical standards.
