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Join on Telegram Rabat – In an effort to tackle Morocco’s ongoing unemployment, especially among its youth, Younes Sekkouri, the Minister of Economic Inclusion, announced an ambitious government plan during the Open Days of the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) in Tetouan on Saturday.
The government’s initiative, which requires an investment of MAD 14 billion ($1.3 billion), is designed to tackle key labor market challenges, particularly high unemployment rates among youth without formal qualifications or vocational training.
Sekkouri outlined several strategic measures, including a program to assist businesses through the National Agency for the Promotion of Employment and Skills (ANAPEC), focused on hiring workers without diplomas.
Additionally, the plan looks to expand an apprenticeship program that provides young job seekers with practical experience in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and cooperatives, especially in rural areas.
The initiative seeks to increase participation from 20,000 to 100,000 by 2025, noting the proven effectiveness of this model in facilitating labor market integration.
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Sekkouri also introduced a rural employment stabilization initiative aimed at encouraging farmers to retain workers in rural areas, promoting job stability within the agricultural sector.
He spoke on the government’s success in creating 300,000 new jobs in the third quarter of 2024, spanning key sectors such as industry, commerce, tourism, construction, and handicrafts.
As part of ongoing efforts to improve job conditions for all Moroccan workers, the government has officially approved a 5% increase in the guaranteed minimum wage for both non-agricultural (SMIG) and agricultural (SMAG) workers, effective January 1, 2025.
Government spokesperson Mustapha Baitas announced the decision during a press conference following the weekly cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch.
“Starting next January, the SMIG will rise to MAD 17.10 per hour, amounting to a net monthly salary of MAD 3,045. For agricultural workers, the SMAG will increase to MAD 93 per day, equivalent to a monthly net salary of MAD 2,255,” Baitas stated.
He underlined that this move is part of the government’s broader commitment to improving citizens’ livelihoods through structured social policies. “When this government makes a promise, it keeps it. This is not about slogans—it’s about delivering real change,” he added.
