The Industrial Acceleration Plan (PAI) and Its Implications on Employment: A Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis

In light of the structural challenges facing the Moroccan labor market, characterized by high unemployment rates, particularly among young people and graduates, and the difficulty of influencing the quantitative dimension of labor supply, job creation—both in terms of quantity and quality—as well as the implementation of mechanisms that can stimulate it, emerge as essential levers to address labor market imbalances and inefficiencies in Morocco. This study aims to assess the impact of the Industrial Acceleration Plan (PAI) 2014–2020, a sectoral strategy implemented by Morocco to stimulate employment. Through a periodic comparative analysis and a survey-based approach, we seek to evaluate the program’s effects on industrial employment from both a quantitative perspective (the number of jobs created and its contribution to total employment) and a qualitative perspective (the sub-sectors generating the most employment and the characteristics of the recruited workforce). Additionally, the study examines the indirect effects of the PAI on the overall indicators of the industrial sector during the period under review. Our findings indicate that during the implementation of the PAI, the industrial sector contributed more significantly to job creation, with a slight increase in its share of total employment. However, the number of jobs created remains insufficient to absorb overall labor demand or to meet the needs of the Moroccan labor market, particularly in an economic context marked by a persistent rise in youth and graduate unemployment. From a qualitative standpoint, industrial jobs have experienced a modest improvement in working conditions, primarily due to the emergence of high value-added sectors, notably the automotive and aerospace industries, compared to previous sectoral programs such as the Emergence Plan and the National Pact for Industrial Emergence (PNEI). Similarly, survey results confirm that the PAI has had a positive impact on industrial employment, particularly in the automotive and aerospace sectors. However, several limitations persist, including restricted access for women, an overrepresentation of intermediate-level jobs, a geographical concentration of employment in a single region, and an insufficient structural transformation of the industrial sector.