Moroccans Soon to Receive Unemployment Benefits

1- Soon an Indemnity for Job Loss
Moroccans will very soon be entitled to an indemnity for job loss, which could reach 70% of their salary before losing their last job.
The announcement was made by the Moroccan Ministry of Employment and Professional Training, specifying that "the establishment of this indemnity is part of the support for both employees made redundant for reasons beyond their control, and for companies in difficulty". For the moment, no date has been given for the entry into force of this project, which is highly likely to be integrated into the next 2012 Finance Act.
The indemnity, which should not exceed the amount of the Moroccan guaranteed interprofessional minimum wage (SMIG), will be granted for a period of six months. Currently, the Moroccan SMIG, which is set at 10.64 dirhams per hour, or 2110 DH per month, is one of the best on the African continent.
The details of this compensation project, which will benefit employees who can justify 780 days of contributions, including 216 days during the last year before losing their job, were on the agenda of an extraordinary meeting held at the end of August by the board of directors of the Moroccan Social Security Fund (CNSS).
The government has said it is ready to contribute to the financing of this unemployment benefit project with a share of 200 to 250 million dirhams.

2- Feasibility Study: 3 Scenarios.
In its feasibility study of the project, the CNSS Management and Studies Committee retained three scenarios. The first proposes an indemnity of 70% of the reference salary without exceeding the SMIG and a contribution rate of 1.10%. The second suggests an indemnity of 50% of the reference salary without exceeding a ceiling of 6000 DH and a contribution rate of 1.25%. The third scenario provides for an indemnity of 50% of the reference salary for the insured who can justify 780 to 1620 days of contributions.
There is an additional 2.5% for each period of 216 days up to 70% of the reference salary and without exceeding the ceiling of 6000 DH. Regarding the contribution rate, it speaks of 1.50%.

3- According to the HCP, the unemployment rate is rising
According to an information note from the High Commission for Planning in Morocco (HCP), concerning the situation of the labor market, the unemployment rate in Morocco reached 8.7% in the second quarter of 2011, up 0.5 points compared to the same period of the previous year.
During the same period, the number of unemployed increased, according to the HCP, by 66,000, specifies the HCP, representing an increase of 0.8 points in urban areas (13.5%) and 0.3 in rural areas (3.6%). The increase significantly affected young people aged 15 to 34 (+2.4 points), women (+2 points) and graduates (+1.3 points). In 2010, the unemployment rate stabilized at 9.1% thanks to the creation of 120,000 new jobs.


Khalid Semlali.


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