Einar H. Dyvik
Research expert covering Nordics and global data for society, economy, and politics
Employment in Morocco - statistics & facts
High employment in the service and agricultural sectors, low female labor participation, widespread youth unemployment, and a large informal sector are some of the main features of Morocco’s labor market. In 2023, around 12.3 million people were part of the country’s labor force, meaning that they were employed or unemployed but actively looking for a job. Due to several factors, women in Morocco are not particularly economically active: The female labor participation rate in the country is considerably lower than that of men – around 21.4 percent compared to 74 percent, respectively.
Service sector attracts most employees
The total number of people employed in Morocco amounted to around 11.5 million in 2024. Looking at the latest sectoral distribution figures, approximately 46.3 percent of the working population was employed in the service sector. The agriculture sector followed with a share of 29.6 percent, while the industrial sector attracted roughly 24.1 percent of the workforce. In fact, especially due to the large tourism industry, services make up the largest economic sector in the country and account for over half of the GDP. Moreover, while agriculture is the smallest economic sector, it employs a larger percentage of working population compared to the industrial sector, which is less labor intensive.High unemployment among youth and women
Similar to other North African countries, Morocco’s labor force is concerned with high levels of unemployment. Specifically, the young population aged 15 to 24 years faced the highest unemployment rate in the country compared to the other age groups in 2024. Unemployment is also higher among those who have a degree, which reveals the struggles of bridging the gap between the education system and the job market. As of 2021, the country’s employment situation was also characterized by the high female unemployment rate, as only 16.8 percent of the women in the labor force were employed.Working conditions and salaries
Employees in Morocco typically work 44 or 48 hours per week, from Mondays to Fridays. Paid employment accounted for 86 percent of the working population, with the share increasing annually since 2018. In addition, employees in Morocco are guaranteed a daily minimum salary of 124.4 Moroccan dirhams, which is around 12 U.S. dollars, for a total of eight working hours. In the agricultural sector specifically, agricultural workers have a lower daily minimum wage, that is around 84 Moroccan dinars, or eight U.S. dollars. However, many Moroccans engage in informal types of employment, which are not subject to the government regulatory framework. Around 80 percent of the working population was in Morocco as of 2019, the highest share in the Middle East and North Africa.
