Political parties are placing Youth Employment at the centre of the Morocco Election campaign as they seek to attract younger voters ahead of the September 23 vote with promises of jobs and affordable housing.
According to Reuters, the National Rally of Independents (RNI) and the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) have each pledged to create about one million jobs over the next parliamentary term, making Youth Employment one of the major economic issues shaping the Morocco Election.
The campaign comes after youth-led protests last year and a mass attempt to cross into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in July highlighted frustration among some young Moroccans over economic opportunities.
Morocco has recorded progress in manufacturing and major infrastructure, but unemployment among young people remains high. That gap between economic development and the experience of many young Moroccans has become an important backdrop to the vote.
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Morocco Election Campaigns Put Youth Employment at the Centre
The RNI and PAM are focusing heavily on employment as they compete for support ahead of the Morocco Election.
Both parties have pledged to create about one million jobs during the next parliamentary term. They have also highlighted roughly $20 billion in infrastructure investment ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which Morocco will co-host with Spain and Portugal.
PAM has listed housing, regular income and dignified work among its priorities, while political parties have also used social media to reach younger voters.
The focus on Youth Employment reflects the scale of one of Morocco’s major economic challenges. Official figures cited by Reuters put youth unemployment at around 27%, the highest rate among any age group.
One in three young Moroccans is also neither working, studying nor receiving training, according to official statistics cited by Reuters.
Youth Employment Promises Face Trust Test in Morocco Election
Turning employment promises into stronger electoral participation remains a challenge for political parties.
Moroccans aged 18 to 24 represent about 12% of the population but account for only around 3% of registered voters, according to official figures.
Political trust among the wider youth population is also limited. An Afrobarometer survey published in March found that only about one-third of Moroccans aged 18 to 35 said they trusted parliament, the prime minister or political parties.
The figures provide important context for the Morocco Election because parties are trying to persuade young people to participate while addressing concerns around Youth Employment and economic opportunity.
University student Mohamed Azzaoui told Reuters that he did not intend to vote, saying young voters continued to see familiar political figures returning with promises that many no longer trusted.
The challenge for political parties is therefore not simply presenting employment plans, but convincing younger citizens that those commitments can translate into meaningful improvements in their lives.
Morocco Election Highlights Economic Growth and Youth Employment Gap
The debate around young people is unfolding alongside Morocco’s ambitious economic development programme.
The country’s New Development Model aims to double gross domestic product per capita by 2035, while billions of dollars have flowed into areas including deepwater ports, phosphates, green energy and rail infrastructure.
Those investments have strengthened Morocco’s position as one of Africa’s diversified and industrialised economies, but economic progress has not eliminated the pressures facing younger citizens.
The country’s central bank has pointed to a gap between measured economic performance and how citizens perceive their circumstances.
That difference is particularly important for Youth Employment. Major infrastructure and industrial investment can expand economic capacity, but the challenge is ensuring that growth also creates opportunities young people can experience directly.
The September 23 Morocco Election will therefore take place with employment, housing and economic inclusion prominent in the campaign.
Under Morocco’s political system, the monarchy retains control over the country’s broad policy direction, while political parties compete over government programmes and how national objectives are implemented.
What This Means For Africa
The focus on Youth Employment ahead of the Morocco Election reflects an economic challenge that extends beyond Morocco.
Across Africa, governments are seeking ways to connect economic growth and investment with sufficient employment opportunities for younger populations. Morocco provides an important case because the country has attracted substantial investment while developing major infrastructure and industrial capacity.
Its ports, rail networks, manufacturing sector and green-energy investments demonstrate how large-scale development can expand an economy’s productive capacity.
The challenge highlighted by the Morocco Election is ensuring that this development also translates into opportunities young citizens can experience through employment and improved economic security.
With Youth Employment remaining a major concern and youth unemployment at around 27%, the economic gains recorded elsewhere in Morocco have not removed the difficulties many young people face when entering the labour market.
This has wider relevance for Africa. Strong economic indicators, infrastructure investment and industrial expansion can strengthen national economies, but public confidence can also depend on whether households experience those gains through employment, income and improved living conditions.
The low voter registration rate among Moroccans aged 18 to 24 adds another dimension. Young people represent about 12% of the population but only around 3% of registered voters, creating a considerable gap between their demographic presence and participation in formal electoral politics.
For political parties, this makes Youth Employment both an economic issue and an important part of efforts to engage younger citizens.
The Morocco Election also shows how governments across the continent may face pressure to demonstrate a clearer connection between large infrastructure projects and everyday economic opportunities. Morocco is preparing for the 2030 World Cup with roughly $20 billion in infrastructure investment being highlighted during the campaign, while younger citizens continue to face employment challenges.
The September 23 vote will determine the composition of the next parliament, but the underlying economic questions will extend beyond election day. Turning investment into employment and expanding opportunities for younger citizens will remain important regardless of the political configuration that follows.
For Africa more broadly, Morocco’s experience highlights the importance of ensuring that economic development reaches younger populations. Infrastructure can support long-term growth, but Youth Employment remains one of the clearest ways young citizens can directly experience the benefits of that progress.
The Morocco Election therefore brings together two issues with relevance across the continent — political participation among a young population and the ability of economic development to generate sustainable employment opportunities.
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