UNEMPLOYMENT, STATUS IN EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES IN MOROCCO

High unemployment rates among educated workers in Morocco and many other developing countries is a serious issue. The worsening unemployment problem among educated workers in Morocco started with the cuts to public sector hiring under structural adjustment policies implemented in 1983. Thus, this paper analyzes the evolution of the determinants of employment and the status in employment and wages in this country after 1983 using a cohort approach. Estimates based on microdata from the 1998 Moroccan labour force survey confirm the deterioration in employment of educated workers after 1983. The results also show that the contraction of employment opportunities has increased the probability of considering self-employment as an alternative to unemployment, except for university graduates who still prefer paid work and, consequently, risk long periods of unemployment. Results also exhibit a significant decline over time in returns to education, whereas paid employment opportunities and wages have improved for uneducated workers.