RABAT (Reuters) - Morocco's unemployment rate fell to 9.6 percent in the first quarter of this year from 10.1 percent in the same period last year as services and construction created more jobs, official data showed on Friday.

As a result, the total number of unemployed workers stood at 1.078 million in the first three months, 55,000 less than in the same month a year ago, the High Planning Commission added.

Non-farming economy created 152,000 jobs for the period, mostly in construction and services where jobs growth rates were 10 percent and 2.4 percent respectively.

Some 10,000 jobs were created in the fishing and farming sectors, 3.6 percent more than in the first quarter of last year as the country expects to harvest 5.0 million tonnes this year. This would be 18 percent less than a decade-average but more than double last year's crop when severe drought slashed output to 2.0 million tonnes.

The jobless swelled to 1.092 million last year because of the poor performance of the agriculture industry.

Morocco's agriculture accounts for more than 40 percent of employment and up to 20 percent of gross domestic product.

Cutting joblessness is a priority for the government which envisages the creation of 1.2 million jobs for the 2008-2012 period from an estimated 0.8 million in the previous five years.

Morocco must create 400,000 jobs a year over the next decade to prevent mass unemployment from threatening stability, according to an official report.