The North Africa Journal: Maghreb Economic Performance: A Fair 2008, But Uncertain Outlook 

Maghreb Economic Performance: A Fair 2008, But Uncertain Outlook
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Arezki Daoud on 15 February, 2009 01:29:00
 
For the three central Maghreb nations, GDP expanded between a low of 4.9% and a
high of 6.2%. Although for many analysts these are reasonable rates, they mask
two critical realities. The first is that they are too weak to absorb the
region's still massive unemployment rates. Maghreb countries will need far
reaching policies to create stronger economic activities, the like of China,
where growth should be at least in the high single digits, if not in the low
teens in an effort to sustain reasonable job creation. The second problem is
that as we enter one of the toughest eras facing the global economy, the
region's economic growth rates have too volatile, often too low that they could
turn nagative. Continue here.