Sakouri Reveals Slight Decline in Unemployment and Calls for Justice for Certain Groups
Economic Integration, Small Enterprises, Employment, and Skills Minister Younes Sakouri announced a slight decline in the unemployment rate recently. He noted the loss of 350,000 jobs overall, compared to the creation of 280,000 net jobs, including 216,000 in the services sector, 50,000 in construction and public works, and 80,000 in industry, trade, and handicrafts.
During a public session dedicated to discussing public policies related to investment and employment at the House of Councillors, Sakouri emphasized the need to revise the labor code, considering it one of the major obstacles to improving the employment climate. He called for addressing injustices faced by certain groups, particularly security guards and workers in digital applications.
The minister highlighted that the government has allocated a significant budget to support the employment sector and has launched new training schemes in coordination with public investment policies, industry, and higher education. He affirmed that government coordination has improved since the revival of the inter-ministerial committee for employment, chaired by the Prime Minister and comprising various concerned sectors.
Sakouri pointed out that this committee also included employers due to their pivotal role in modernizing the employment environment. The government has set aside an exceptional budget of 15 billion dirhams to implement a new roadmap targeting groups that have been excluded from support programs, particularly degree holders.
The program increased the number of beneficiaries from vocational training from 40,000 to 250,000 annually, including 100,000 in an apprenticeship system, with a budget exceeding 500 million dirhams, providing 5,000 dirhams for each trainee to companies.
Sakouri confirmed that the ministry is collaborating with the Ministry of National Education, Pre-school Education, and Sports to combat school dropout rates, which is one of the causes of unemployment, alongside coordinating with the higher education sector to develop preparatory training programs.
