Morocco's tourism sector is experiencing significant growth, driven by investments, hotel capacity development, and ambitious plans for the coming years. However, this growth occurs against a backdrop of a tight labor market, with an unemployment rate of 13% and 37.2% among young people aged 15-24. This raises a crucial question: does the labor-intensive tourism sector create enough jobs to match its growth and investments? Najib Erraiss, Managing Director of MFA Hospitality, suggests examining the numbers to understand the sector's job creation potential.
Between 2019 and 2025, Morocco's unemployment rate increased from 9.2% to 13%, with the number of jobless individuals rising from approximately 1.11 million to 1.62 million. Among young people aged 15-24, unemployment reached 37.2%, up from 24.9% in 2019. The labor market's capacity to absorb the growing workforce is a pressing concern. With a population of around 36.8 million, Morocco's active population stands at about 12.5 million, with 10.85 million employed. The unemployment rate of 13% affects the active population, while the 1.62 million unemployed individuals represent around 4.4% of the total population.
The issue extends beyond the unemployment rate, encompassing the economy's ability to convert growth and investment into jobs and integrate more Moroccans into productive activities. Najib Erraiss cautions against oversimplifying the relationship between growth and unemployment, instead highlighting the need to assess the efficiency of growth in generating employment. He notes that an economy can grow through infrastructure, public investment, and productivity gains without creating proportionally more jobs. This concern is particularly relevant in the tourism sector, which relies heavily on human resources.
The tourism industry is characterized by its labor-intensive nature, with various occupations such as reception, housekeeping, and food services. Erraiss emphasizes that hospitality is a profoundly human industry, allowing tourism to convert investment, activity, skills, and jobs into local prosperity. He poses a critical question: "How many sustainable jobs are created for every billion dirhams invested?" The transformation of the hotel industry since the 1990s has led to increased productivity and optimization, but also raises concerns about the impact on employment.
Historically, Morocco has considered the relationship between hotel standards and human resources. According to Erraiss, indicative ratios suggest that a 3-star hotel requires around 0.5 employees per room, while a 5-star hotel needs around 0.9 employees per room. He proposes a benchmark of approximately 1.3 employees per room based on his experience in the high-end hospitality sector. This would translate to 40 additional employees for a 100-room hotel. Erraiss stresses that these jobs are not just payroll entries but also contribute to service quality and personalization.
To better understand the dynamics at play, Erraiss suggests conducting a study on Morocco's hotel staffing trends from 1990 to 2025, covering aspects such as employees per room, qualifications, and turnover. This would help identify the correlation between staffing, quality, and revenue. He also proposes comparing Morocco's ratios with those of other countries, such as Spain, Turkey, and Egypt, to gain a deeper understanding of the sector's performance.
The integration of technology has improved productivity in the tourism sector, but its impact on employment is complex. Erraiss notes that digitalization can be used to enhance the customer experience without necessarily reducing staff. By examining the interplay between technology, staffing, and service quality, Morocco's tourism industry can strive to create sustainable jobs and maximize its growth potential. Ultimately, the goal is to strike a balance between productivity gains and job creation, ensuring that the sector's growth benefits both the economy and the workforce.
Key points
- Morocco's tourism growth raises questions about its ability to create sufficient jobs, particularly among young people and in the context of a tight labor market.
- The tourism sector's labor-intensive nature and reliance on human resources make it crucial to assess its job creation potential.
- A study on Morocco's hotel staffing trends and comparisons with other countries could provide valuable insights into the sector's performance and help identify opportunities for sustainable job creation.
