As Morocco ramps up infrastructure projects ahead of the 2030 World Cup, construction companies are struggling to find enough qualified workers to meet rising demand, according to Bloomberg.
From new highways and rail lines to airport upgrades and stadiums, Morocco is pouring billions into infrastructure, nearly $9 billion in 2025 alone, a 40% jump from last year. But that sudden demand is putting a serious strain on the workforce.
“We’re facing a real shortage of skilled labor because so many large projects are starting at once,” Mohamed Mahboub, head of the National Federation of Construction and Public Works, told Bloomberg. “They all have tight deadlines and penalties for delays, so companies are racing to hire.”
That rush has sparked a fierce competition between firms to recruit workers, especially in specialized trades. As a result, wages are rising fast, and smaller companies are getting squeezed.
While Morocco’s construction sector employs around 1.2 million people, many companies, especially the 7000 or so officially licensed ones, rely heavily on government contracts. Those contracts have averaged 60 billion dirhams a year (about $6 billion) between 2018 and 2024.
Looking ahead, Morocco plans to spend $170 billion on infrastructure by 2030, with most of it tied to World Cup preparations, as well as desalination plants and renewable energy projects, according to Attijari Global Research.
To ease the pressure, the government is trying to boost vocational training in high-demand fields. The goal is to triple the number of trainees from 30000 to 100000 per year.
The training is funded in part by a 1.6% payroll tax on companies. But Mahboub warns that training takes time, and the projects can’t wait.
Despite the booming construction activity, unemployment in Morocco remains high, stuck at 13.3% in early 2025, or about 1.63 million people. Much of that is due to job losses in agriculture after several dry years. Official statistics also count unpaid family farm workers among the unemployed.
While Morocco hopes to eventually shift more investment into the hands of the private sector, with a 2022 law offering tax breaks and incentives, public spending still makes up two-thirds of all investment today.
The challenge now is making sure the country has enough trained hands to turn its World Cup dream into reality on time.
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