Employment Indicators Show Improvement, but Challenges Remain
Unemployment Rate Down to 16.0%, Driven by Women's Employment
The latest employment indicators, released last week, revealed a 20-point drop in the unemployment rate to 16.0%. This decrease is largely attributed to the improved employability of women, whose unemployment rate fell from 22.0% in the first quarter of 2024 to 21.3% three months later, marking the best rate in a year. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate among men remained stable at 13.6%.
Tunisian Economy Still Feeling the Impact of the Health Crisis
The Tunisian economy currently provides employment to 3,484,400 people, which is lower than the 3,566,000 jobs recorded in March 2020. The health crisis still has a lingering impact, with 81,600 job opportunities lost. However, women have shown a greater ability to adapt, with a net creation of 64,500 jobs between March 2020 and June 2024, surpassing the one-million mark (1,014,500 jobs) for the first time. In contrast, men lost 145,100 jobs during the same period.
A Closer Look at the Numbers Reveals a More Complex Picture
While these figures may seem positive at first glance, they require careful interpretation. It's essential to consider that university graduates are predominantly women. In fact, the unemployment rate among women with higher education degrees has decreased to 30.6%, down from 38.3% in March 2020. However, social pressure on households due to male unemployment cannot be ignored. In many cases, women have had to join the workforce due to the breadwinner's inability to find employment, often under difficult conditions.
Youth Unemployment Remains a Significant Concern
With 661,700 people without jobs, the unemployment rate among 15-24-year-olds stands at 41.0%. This is a ticking social time bomb, with potential criminal consequences. Notably, since the fourth quarter of 2021, there has been a significant shift, with a lower unemployment rate among young women compared to young men, with a 240-point gap between the two. While the situation remains dire for both sexes, this trend is worth highlighting.
