Moroccan women at the margins of the informal sector
In Morocco, the proportion of households owning an informal production unit (IPU) remains notably significant. Over nearly a decade, from 2014 to 2023, this figure has only slightly decreased—from 15.5% to 14.3%—both in urban areas (from 17.2% to 15.6%) and rural areas (from 12.8% to 11%).
In its National Survey on the sector published this Wednesday, the High Commission for Planning (HCP) highlights that economic necessity remains the primary reason for engaging in this activity in 68.3% of cases, especially among women. Meanwhile, 31.7% of IPU owners cite preference or family tradition as their motivation.
Before creating their IPU, 78.8% of heads were already economically active, primarily in construction (81.4%). However, there are significant gender gaps: 82.3% of men were employed compared to just 36.1% of women, the report notes. Nearly 60% of IPU heads are former employees. Additionally, 38.3% of women had previously owned another IPU as independents, compared to 27.6% of men.
The HCP further observes that women enter the informal sector out of necessity more often than men—71.9% versus 65.1%. Notably, 44% of women were inactive before starting their IPU, compared to only 7.1% of men. Thus, the informal sector often serves as a first entry point into the labor market for many women, although it does not always lead to formal employment.
According to the report, the share of women coming from unemployment (19.8%) is nearly double that of men (10.6%), «reflecting a more frequent recourse by women to informal self-employment as an alternative to professional exclusion».
This gendered analysis also reveals that women rely less on self-financing and more on alternative funding sources such as inheritance, aid, or donations, reflecting lower financial autonomy when establishing their unit.
In the sector, 30% of women struggle more than men to balance their professional and personal lives—compared to only 8.1% of men. The report calls this «a major challenge for women's autonomy and professional fulfillment», with these constraints compounded by limited access to bank credit. Within this ecosystem, only 2.1% of IPU heads have a dedicated bank account for their activity.
A precarious alternative to total inactivity
The report underscores persistent gender disparities in decision-making autonomy and work-family balance within IPUs. It highlights differences in income management autonomy, where men (96.4%) slightly outperform women (94.7%).
Decision-making patterns reveal further disparities: nearly half of women (43.4%) share decisions with their spouse, compared to 31.3% of men. Conversely, 19% of men report making decisions with a partner, against only 10.2% of women.
Regarding professional status before creating an IPU, the survey notes that most heads were employees (59.5%), followed by independents (28%). Yet, more women had previously worked as independents (38.3% vs. 27.6%), while men were more often employees (59.8% vs. 51.4%).
At the national level, the HCP notes that households led by men have a higher IPU ownership rate (16.1%) than those led by women (5.4%). In urban areas, 18% of male-led households own an IPU, compared to 6.1% of female-led ones. This gap widens in rural areas—12% versus 2.7%.
Moreover, heads aged 35 to 59 are more likely to own an IPU (17.1%), with men constituting the vast majority (92.4%) of IPU leaders. Women are nearly absent in the construction sector, managing only 5.2% of IPUs in commerce and 8.2% in services. They are most represented in industry, with 20.9%, according to the HCP.
These figures are revealing in a context where female employment loss remains high. In rural areas, this loss is estimated to reduce GDP by nearly 2.2%. While over 80% of women nationally are economically inactive and only 19% hold a job, the HCP has recommended targeted empowerment measures to recognize the «essential but often invisible» contributions of female workers, especially in rural zones.
In 2023, informal sector employment accounted for 33.1% of non-agricultural jobs. The downward trend is seen in industry (from 37.2% to 29.3%) and services (21.5% to 20.6%), alongside increases in trade (68.5% to 69.8%) and construction (21.4% to 25.3%). In absolute numbers, informal employment grew from 2.37 million to 2.53 million over this period, adding 157,000 jobs.
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