Statistics Mauritius shows an unemployment rate of 9.8% compared to 10.2% in December 2020. But these figures are questionable if we realize the realities of Mauritius. Of course, with the Wage Assistance Scheme, the government was able to cushion the impact of the pandemic and the closures of some small and medium-sized enterprises. In any case, now that the reopening is underway, we hope that the economy will recover.
According to Statistics Mauritius in its latest report on employment and unemployment for the first quarter, the unemployment rate is up by 2.9% in the first quarter of 2021 compared to the first quarter of 2020, but the rate is down by 0.4% when compared to December 2020.
Indeed, Mauritius had 40,500 unemployed persons in the first quarter of this year against a labour force of 590,900 persons as compared to 52,500 unemployed persons in the first quarter of last year against 534,400 economically active persons. The labour force was 599,400 in December 2020.
Comparing the first two quarters of 2020 and 2021, Mauritius has an increase of 12,000 unemployed and a decrease of 68,500 jobs. The labour force, estimated at 550,400 in the first quarter of last year, increased to 481,900 in the same quarter in 2021. In addition, the number of inactive persons increased by 61,300 over the same period. However, a decrease of 8,900 unemployed persons is recorded between December 2020 and March 2021.
Statistics Mauritius notes that this increase of 12,000 unemployed persons does not include those who are self-employed and who was forced not to work during the lockdown. These people were counted as inactive. However, the Central Bureau of Statistics considers the unemployed to be only those of working age who are actively seeking work. This leaves some economists questioning the veracity of the unemployment figures. “Statistics Mauritius notes an unemployment rate of 9.8% compared to 10.2% in December 2020. However, the employment of Mauritians is estimated at only 481,900 in the first quarter compared to 538,000 in December 2020, a drop of 56,100. The labour force shows a decline of 64,700 over this period because Statistics Mauritius classifies self-employed persons who are not looking for jobs during the lock-up as (temporarily) ‘inactive’ and not as unemployed. However, these inactive persons still received state benefits, and Statistics Mauritius assumed that at the end of the lock-up period, the number of inactive persons will drop to its usual level. If we had kept the same number of the labour force as in December 2020, which by the way did not really change in the first quarter, the unemployment rate would have been 20%,” explains an economist.
Profile of the unemployed in the first quarter
The 52,500 unemployed in the first quarter of 2021 includes 26,600 men, or 51% of the unemployed, and 25,900 women, or 49%. 26,300 of them or 50% were in couples. 33,200 unemployed people or 63%, had not completed the Cambridge School Certificate. About 17,400 unemployed people had been looking for a job for more than a year, while 40,300 unemployed people had work experience. But what is more worrying is the unemployment rate among young people. There are 18,600 unemployed compared to 17,300 at the same time last year, an increase of 8%, and with the disruption of the school calendar, these figures do not always reflect reality.
