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# [MAURITIUS] Q1 2026 Employment: +6,100 Jobs Year-on-Year, Unemployment at 5.7% — But Gender and Youth Gaps Persist
- URL: https://businessoi.media/en/maurice-emploi-t1-2026-6-100-postes-sur-un-an-chomage-a-5-7-mais-les-femmes-et-les-jeunes-restent-en-marge-en/
- Published: 2026-09-09T02:53:23.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-09T02:53:23.000Z
- Description: Mauritius Q1 2026: +6,100 net jobs year-on-year, unemployment at 5.7%. But women (7.5%) and youth (19.1%) unemployment rates remain strikingly above the national average.
- Author: Emmanuel TAOCHY
- Tags: Maurice, emploi, Revue matinale, #en

**Mauritius's labour market posted a modest improvement in Q1 2026, with 6,100 net jobs created year-on-year and the unemployment rate easing to 5.7%. But behind these broadly positive headline figures, gender and generational disparities remain sharply pronounced.**

## Positive annual trend, weaker sequential reading

According to Statistics Mauritius, Q1 2026 recorded 6,100 additional jobs compared to Q1 2025\. The unemployment rate fell to 5.7% from 6.0% a year earlier. The active population now stands at 587,000 individuals.

The numbers reflect a recovery driven largely by the services sector, which accounts for 77.1% of total employment, followed by the secondary sector at 18.2% and the primary sector at 4.7%.

However, the quarterly reading tempers optimism: employment fell by 7,200 positions compared to Q4 2025\. This sequential contraction — likely seasonal — warrants close monitoring in coming quarters.

## Women and youth: the blind spot of the recovery

Disparities remain stark. Women's unemployment stands at 7.5%, nearly double the male rate of 4.3%. Among youth aged 16-24, the situation is more alarming: unemployment reaches 19.1%, rising to 22.2% for young women specifically.

Of the 33,300 unemployed persons counted, 57% are women; 52% lack the School Certificate, Mauritius's first official qualification; and 82% have been job-seeking for under one year.

## A structurally low female participation rate

The female labour force participation rate remains at 49.3% — far below the male rate of 70%. This gap of over 20 percentage points reflects structural barriers: access to childcare, geographic mobility and social norms that go beyond labour market mechanics alone.

## Why it matters

The divergence between male and female employment trajectories raises structural questions about training access, childcare provision and professional opportunities in Mauritius. In a highly tertiarised economy — where services account for over three-quarters of jobs — integrating women and youth into the workforce is a necessary condition for durable, inclusive growth.