Unemployment decrease at end 1999, statistics

Unemployment in Morocco decreased from 15.1% to 14,5% of the working population between July-Sept 99 and Oct-Dec 99, from 1,534,000 unemployed persons to 1,456,000, said the statistics department.

In rural areas, the rate declined from 6.1% to 5.3% while in cities it went down from 23.4% to 22.9%.

The source says the number of working people nationwide estimated at 8,576,000 between Oct-Dec 99 diminished by 0.9% in comparison with July-Sept 99.

In rural areas, there was a regression of 1.8% of the working population, especially among women, due to a bad agricultural season in 1999. The percentage of working rural women went down from 30.2% to 27.3%.