Tunis — The unemployment rate dropped to 16.2% in Q1 of 2024 from 16.4% in Q4 of 2023 and 16.1% in Q1 of 2023 as a result mainly of the increase in the number of people in active employment, figures of the National Institute of Statistics show.

The number of unemplyed people stands at 669,300 against 667,500 in Q4 of 2023, according to Q1 of 2024 indicators published Thursday.

The unemployment rate trended downwards for men (13.6 % against contre 13.8 % in Q4 of 2023) as well as for women (22% from 22.2% in Q4 of 2023).

The unemployment rate for youth in the 15-24 age bracket fell in Q1 of 2024 to 39.2 % (in comparison with 40.9 % in Q4 of 2023 and 40.2 % in the first three months of 2023). This is as follows: 39.5 % for men and 38.7 % for women in Q1 of 2024.

The jobless rate among higher education graduates posted an upward trend to 23.4% in Q1 of 2024 (against 23.2 % in Q4 of 2023 and 23.1 % in Q1 of 2023) This rate stands at 13.8 % for men and 31.2 % for women.

The labour force in Q1 of 2024 stood at 4,145,2 up from 4,083,8 in Q4 of 2023 (+ 61,500 employed people). This is shared out as follows: 2,887,2 men and 1,258 women, that is 69.7 % and 30.3 %, respectively, of the working population.

This rise represents a 0.5 percentage point increase of the employment rate which reached 46.3 % of the working age population (15 and over) against 45.8% in Q4 of 2023.

The number of employed people rose by 59,700 to 3,475,9 in Q1 of 2024 against 3,416,2 in Q4 of the 2023.

The labour force is unevenly distributed between men and women: 2,494,3 men compared to 981,600 women, that is 71.8 % and 28.2 % of the working population, respectively.

Figures show 53 % of the labour force is employed in the sector of services, 19 % in manufacturing industries, 13% in non-manufacturing sectors and 15 % in farming and fisheries.