Human Capital, Gender and Labour Market Duality in Morocco: A Comparative Analysis of Wage Earners and Non-Agricultural Self-Employed Workers

Authors

• Zineb NAHMED, Laboratory of Applied Economics and Finance, Hassan II University of Casablanca, MoroccoFollow
• Malika NAHMED, Laboratory of Applied Modelling in Economics and Management (LMAEG), FSJES Ain Sebaa, Hassan II University of Casablanca, MoroccoFollow
• Abdeljaoaud EZZRARI, Observatory of Population Living Conditions, High Commission for Planning (HCP), MoroccoFollow

Abstract

This article provides a comparative analysis of the socioeconomic situation of wage earners and non-agricultural self-employed workers in Morocco, based on data from the 2019/2020 National Survey on Sources of Income. Drawing on human capital theory, labour market segmentation, the institutional approach to informality and gender theories, the study highlights the inequality dynamics shaping access to employment, social protection and income. The results show that human capital has a positive effect on income, but that this effect is stronger among wage earners than among self-employed workers, who are often confined to informality. Labour market duality is particularly marked between formal wage employment and informal self-employment. Gender gaps remain significant: women earn substantially less than men, especially in informal self-employment, despite similar levels of education.

Recommended Citation

NAHMED, Zineb; NAHMED, Malika; and EZZRARI, Abdeljaoaud (2026) "Human Capital, Gender and Labour Market Duality in Morocco: A Comparative Analysis of Wage Earners and Non-Agricultural Self-Employed Workers," Revue Marocaine de Droit, d'Economie et de Gestion (Moroccan Journal of Law, Economics and Management): Vol. 31: Iss. 2, Article 10.
https://doi.org/10.66499/2665-7112.1613
Available at: https://scholarhub.univh2c.ma/remadeg/vol31/iss2/10

DOI

10.66499/2665-7112.1613

REMADEG