Y-NEET in Morocco

Country Overview

Youth transitions in Morocco remain constrained by structural challenges, including low job creation, high informality, skills mismatches and weak intermediation, which limit young people’s access to decent and stable opportunities. Despite ongoing reforms to modernize employment, education and public-service systems, labour-market outcomes for youth remain weak. These constraints are compounded by fragmented governance, where employment, education and training programmes often operate separately, reducing the effectiveness of support. Many young people struggle to translate education into meaningful work, particularly in regions with limited services and infrastructure. The National Employment Roadmap, Education Roadmap and National Youth Strategy aim to modernize services and strengthen tailored pathways for NEET youth.

Profile and Trends of NEETs

Morocco faces a significant NEET challenge, with one in three youth aged 15–29, around 2.9 million, neither working, studying nor training. A detailed statistical profiling analysis conducted by the ILO under the Y-NEET programme with le Haut Commissariat au Plan (HCP) highlights severe gender gaps, with nearly half of young women NEET and a sharp increase with age, reaching 50% among 25–29-year-olds. Rural youth remain more affected, and 74% of NEETs are inactive, largely young women in unpaid domestic work. A growing share of urban, more educated NEETs also struggle to enter formal jobs due to limited experience and weak intermediation. Educational disadvantage is pronounced, reinforcing the need for coordinated measures to reconnect youth to meaningful pathways.

Main Levers and Barriers

Morocco benefits from renewed political momentum to modernise employment and skills systems, with the National Employment Roadmap strengthening governance, guidance and regional roles. The partial digitalisation of ANAPEC, new support tools and a growing entrepreneurial ecosystem create early foundations for more effective activation. Second Chance Schools also offer a lever to re-engage early school-leavers. Support from the ILO, the EU and broader international cooperation further reinforce these dynamics by improving coordination and employment-service capacities. However, major barriers persist : low job creation beyond major cities, persistent skills mismatches and fragmented governance. Public employment services face operational constraints; employer engagement remains limited and high informality dominates youth work. E2C also face certification and private-sector engagement challenges, while fragmented data systems hinder precise targeting.

Employment Policy and Ongoing Reforms

Morocco’s policy direction demonstrates a strong commitment to improving youth employability. The National Employment Roadmap strengthens labour-market governance, enhances intermediation and reinforces regional roles. Meanwhile, the Education Roadmap seeks to improve teaching quality, reduce dropout and align learning outcomes with labour-market needs. In addition, the National Youth Strategy promotes economic participation, skills development and more integrated youth services. Policies supporting entrepreneurship and self-employment further expand opportunities by improving access to finance and encouraging innovation. In support of these policy measures, ongoing reforms include the digitalization and upgrading of ANAPEC, the OFPPT’s “Training 4.0” shift toward competency-based and work-based learning, and regionalization efforts that tailor employment measures to territorial needs. Overall, stronger governance, better data systems and enhanced coordination aim to build a more integrated ecosystem for youth.

Implications & Strategic Entry Points

Morocco’s NEET landscape reveals persistent gaps in coordination, service integration and youth activation, calling for more coherent and data-driven approaches. The static profiling with HCP, the E2C policy review and the policy mapping show the lack of integrated pathways between education, training and employment, especially for early school-leavers and young women. Strengthening coordination, improving service sequencing and enhancing data systems remain essential. The Y-NEET programme advances these priorities through the National Accompaniment Mechanism and the PES Scan, which aim to build coordinated pathways and strengthen segmentation. Peer-learning with the Catalan Public Employment Service (SOC) provides exposure to operational models and transferable approaches, supporting efforts to prepare territorial pilots and more youth-centred solutions.