Morocco’s Construction Boom Stalls: Skilled Labor Shortage Meets Rising Unemployment

According to data published by the High Commission for Planning (HCP) in February 2025, Morocco has 1.6 million unemployed, of whom more than 32% are young people in urban areas. Yet, the majority of construction companies (70%) are having difficulty recruiting skilled workers. This situation is explained by the mismatch between the labor supply and the demands of workers in terms of wages, benefits, or job stability.

The daily wage of a worker varies between 150 and 180 dirhams, or even 200 dirhams for experienced workers hired on certain strategic projects. However, these salaries remain low compared to the inflation rate, which reached 6.6% in 2022, reducing the purchasing power of these workers who face rising costs of transportation, housing, and food, despite the 15 to 20 dirhams per meal allowances received by some, or the 50 to 100 dirhams per month bonuses for unhygienic conditions or tool use received by others.

According to a study, this precariousness leads many workers to return to their villages to participate in seasonal agricultural work, which exacerbates the labor shortage in the cities. Furthermore, 70% of construction workers have no professional qualifications, which affects the quality of their work and their productivity.

To address this shortage of skilled labor, experts recommend improving the living and working conditions of workers by increasing their wages and benefits, investing in their professional training to improve their skills and increase productivity.