Morocco’s unemployment rate falls to 8.5% in June

The unemployment rate in Morocco reached 8.5% at the end of June after it was at 9.1% last year, Reuters reports, quoting the Kingdom’s planning agency.

In a statement issued Wednesday, the agency revealed that job losses were more present in rural areas than in the urban ones. In details, the agency said that 132,000 jobs were gained in cities while only 125,000 were provided in rural areas.

According to the same source, the government expects to have a 23% drop in rainfall during this year and it estimates that it would be harvesting 5.2 million tons in 2019. Despite the law performance of the farm sector, services and industry managed to create a balance by creating more jobs.

The planning agency expects Morocco economic growth to increase to 2.7% in 2019, which is lower than the 3% observed last year.