As the High Commission for Planning announced that the Moroccan economy created 193,000 job opportunities in 2025, contrasting data revealed a rise in unemployment rates among youth aged 15 to 24, increasing from 36.7% in 2024 to 37.2%. This discrepancy raises a fundamental question: to what extent are the benefits of economic dynamism and major investments reaching the younger generations?
Young Entrepreneurs Crafting Their Own Opportunities
Emad Zekraoui, a 34-year-old entrepreneur and the founder of a home cleaning company, asserts that Morocco is experiencing significant economic activity. He believes that there are ample and diverse opportunities for young individuals willing to develop their ideas. "Any young person who comes up with a concept and works to develop it will realize that Morocco is experiencing unprecedented economic dynamism," Zekraoui states. He highlights the challenges of entrepreneurship, noting that it is often more demanding than traditional employment due to the lack of guaranteed income and fixed working hours. However, he finds satisfaction in witnessing the growth of his business, which started with a modest capital of 1,400 dirhams for purchasing cleaning equipment and has since expanded to include assets worth over 400,000 dirhams, supporting five families in the process. Zekraoui acknowledges the role of state support in his success, having benefited from the National Initiative for Human Development, which provided a grant for acquiring cleaning machines. Nonetheless, he also points out the ongoing issues faced by young entrepreneurs, such as the monopolization of public contracts and nepotism.
Ali Karakbi, who runs a project for electric vehicle charging stations, identifies bureaucratic complexities and slow administrative processes as major obstacles hindering the expansion of youth ventures. Driven by his environmental interests, Karakbi began with one station and now operates over 50 across various regions in Morocco, creating four jobs. He initially funded his project privately without seeking state support, yet he has recently partnered with local communities to provide charging stations for free, with the municipalities covering electricity costs. Karakbi prefers to focus on saving his business from bankruptcy and attracting customers rather than spending time navigating bureaucratic procedures to access state support, expressing frustration over the lack of clarity regarding available programs.
The Migration Dilemma and Entrepreneurial Aspirations
Siham Douiri, a 34-year-old entrepreneur specializing in homemade pastries, contemplates migration as a potential avenue for better opportunities. She believes that many have benefited from training abroad that helped them carve their paths. Despite this belief, Douiri has chosen to invest in her own project, having previously worked in the private sector but now dedicating herself fully to her pastry business. Living with her family presents a significant challenge, as she aspires to rent a space that allows for better working conditions. Douiri admits to feeling trapped in a cycle of reinvesting her profits into equipment and tools, noting that when she seeks guidance from public institutions, she often finds a lack of the necessary information. All her achievements have been self-financed, but she plans to apply for support from the National Initiative for Human Development.
Meanwhile, Marouane Bouchkara, who spent three years in Italy before returning to Morocco with a concept for an alternative marble project, believes that migration can be a valuable opportunity for skill acquisition. Upon returning, he joined a private company to gain experience, later launching his business with a capital of 5,000 dirhams funded through a bank loan. He also received government support of 10,000 dirhams to purchase essential equipment, later achieving a boost in his professional journey by winning first place in a technology innovation hackathon organized by a German investment firm. Bouchkara asserts that Morocco provides promising opportunities for youth, albeit with challenges, including a lack of skills among some young individuals, which hampers their ability to seize available opportunities.
Despite the influx of investments, the question remains: Are these initiatives translating into sustainable job opportunities for the youth? The new investment charter aims to mobilize 550 billion dirhams in private investments and create 500,000 jobs between 2022 and 2026. Since its implementation in March 2023, 391 investment agreements worth a total of 520 billion dirhams have been signed, though these figures indicate announced commitments rather than actual job creation. Data from the National Investment Committee show that approved projects are valued at 512.9 billion dirhams, with an expectation of generating around 201,813 direct and indirect job opportunities.
However, these positive indicators do not translate equally for the youth. The unemployment rate among those aged 15 to 24 has risen to 37.2%, with approximately 2.9 million young individuals aged 15 to 29 out of work, education, or training. This presents a striking contradiction between announced investments and the ongoing rise in youth unemployment, prompting reflections on whether the current economic dynamism can yield sufficient and sustainable job opportunities for younger generations.
As reported by dw.com.
