Morocco’s New “Real Unemployment” Indicator Reveals a Deeper Crisis

Unemployment figures often tell only part of the story.
And in Morocco, a new indicator is changing the narrative.

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According to the Haut-Commissariat au Plan,

the official unemployment rate stands at 10.8%
for the first quarter of 2026.

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But a new, broader indicator
paints a very different picture.

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The HCP has introduced
a measure of “underutilization of labor,”

which includes not only unemployed people,
but also underemployed workers
and those marginally outside the labor market.

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And this figure reaches 22.5%.

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In other words,
more than 1 in 5 active individuals
in Morocco is either unemployed,
working less than they should,
or unable to fully access the job market.

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This shift comes with a new methodology.

The updated survey (EMO 2026)
aligns Morocco with international standards

and introduces a more realistic,
multi-dimensional view of employment.

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Another key signal:
participation in the labor market remains low,

with only around 41–42% of the population
actively working or seeking work.

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This highlights a deeper structural issue.

The challenge is no longer just
reducing unemployment,

but activating a large portion
of the population
that remains outside the workforce.

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For businesses and policymakers,
this changes everything.

It shifts the focus toward:
job quality, inclusion,
and better allocation of human capital.

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In summary:
Morocco’s new indicator reveals that the real employment challenge is much larger than official unemployment suggests.

It marks a shift from measuring jobs
to understanding how effectively
the workforce is actually being used.