Mauritius unemployment rate rises to 7.6pc in Q3

PORT LOUIS: The unemployment rate in Mauritius rose to 7.6 percent during the third quarter of 2016, from 7.4 percent a year earlier, official data showed on Wednesday.

"Employment of Mauritians is estimated at 536,300 at the third quarter of 2016 compared to 536,500 at the third quarter of 2015 and 537,000 at the second quarter of 2016," state-run Statistics Mauritius said in a statement.

The body forecasts an unemployment rate of 7.4 percent this year down from 7.9 percent in 2015.

The Indian Ocean nation, which aims to reduce its dependence on textiles and sugar exports to Europe, has been promoting diversification into tourism, information technologies, business outsourcing and offshore banking.