Mauritius's labour market delivered a mixed signal in the second quarter of 2026: the unemployment rate fell to 5.5%, down from 5.7% in Q1 and 5.9% a year earlier — an improvement published on September 30 by Statistics Mauritius. Yet beneath the headline, total employment edged down from 553,700 in Q1 to 550,600 in Q2, a net loss of 3,100 jobs between quarters.
Persistent Gender Gaps
The decline in unemployment owes much to progress among women, whose rate settled at 7%, still against 4.4% for men. Despite this improvement, women still account for 55% of all unemployed people in Mauritius. With 234,000 women employed versus 316,600 men, the road to parity remains long.
Youth: the Achilles Heel
Young people aged 16 to 24 remain the most exposed segment. Their unemployment rate reached 19.3% in Q2, ticking up slightly from Q1. Young women are hardest hit at 22%, versus 17.2% for young men — a reminder of the urgent need for structural investment in training and job integration.
Key Figures
The active population stands at 582,600, with a participation rate of 58.8%. Among the unemployed, 72% have prior work experience — suggesting the challenge is more about retraining than labour market entry. Long-term unemployed (more than one year) number 5,100.
Why It Matters
At 5.5%, Mauritius posts one of the lowest unemployment rates in the region. But the paradox — falling unemployment alongside shrinking employment — is partly explained by labour market withdrawals, which qualifies the optimism. With growth slowing to 3% in 2026, policymakers will need to watch for a possible reversal in the second half. Youth unemployment remains the country's top structural priority.
Source: Statistics Mauritius, Labour Force, Employment and Unemployment report Q2 2026, published September 30, 2026.