Marrakech business leaders address youth unemployment paradox

The Centre des Jeunes Dirigeants (CJD) of Marrakech recently held a plenary session titled ‘Synergies Jeunesse’ to address the disconnect between youth job seekers and employer needs. The event brought together business leaders, experts, and young people to develop actionable proposals for the new government aimed at bridging the skills gap.

Data from the High Commission for Planning (HCP) highlights a significant disparity in employment: while the general unemployment rate stands at 9.5%, the rate for those aged 15 to 24 reached 27.2% in the second quarter of 2026. Additionally, approximately one in three individuals aged 15 to 29 is neither employed, studying, nor in training, totaling roughly 2.9 million people.

Houda El Jirari, president of CJD Marrakech and founder of Mindpro, noted a real shortage of qualified, autonomous workers despite the high unemployment figures. While the Marrakech-Safi region shows a lower unemployment rate of 7.9% compared to the national average, El Jirari emphasized the need to capitalize on existing training and mentorship resources to better support young people.