Unemployment benefits The great social shift of 2026

In the vast major project of the “Welfare State,” (or «Social State” as it is called), the generalization of Unemployment Benefits (UBs) is shaping up to be one of the defining issues of 2026. The Finance Bill (PLF) reaffirms the Government’s commitment to expanding social protection, in a context where the Compulsory Health Insurance (AMO) already covers 88% of the population and where nearly four million families receive direct assistance via the Unified Social Register (RSU). However, two pillars remain to be completed: the extension of membership to pension schemes… and the UBs.
Since their launch, the UBs have fulfilled a simple mission: to guarantee replacement income for a maximum of six months, while preserving family allowances, Compulsory Health Insurance (AMO), and pension rights. But a look at the statistics shows a system that is reaching a turning point.
The number of new beneficiaries has almost tripled in ten years: 9,393 in 2015, 27,498 in 2024, before falling temporarily to 13,645 at the end of September 2025. This trend reflects a gradual increase in a job market that has become more unstable. Financially, the trend is just as clear. The average monthly amount will rise from MAD 2,336 (USD 253) in 2015 to MAD 2,889 (USD 313) in 2025, driven by the revaluation of the minimum wage, which serves as a ceiling, but also by the increase in declared salaries and the diversification of compensated profiles. Total expenditure follows the same pattern: MAD 123.5 million (USD 13.4 million) in 2015, MAD 434 million (USD 47 million) in 2024, and already MAD 174.6 million (USD 18.9 million) in the first nine months of 2025. This structural increase raises questions about the sustainability of the system.
Statistics from the National Social Security Fund (CNSS) also shed light on the operational limitations of the system.
In 2024, nearly 12,000 applications were rejected for failing to meet the thresholds of 260 or 780 declared days, accounting for half of all rejections. Incomplete files, late submissions, and atypical administrative situations complete the picture of rejections. However, the total number of rejections is gradually decreasing: 26,689 in 2022, 25,388 in 2023, and 23,724 in 2024. This trend could be linked to better preparation of applications, but it also highlights the gap between the current criteria and the reality of a fragmented labor market. This is because the eligibility requirements of 780 days declared over the three years preceding the loss of employment, including 260 days in the last twelve months, are based on the assumption of continuous employment. However, the reality is quite different: discontinuity, seasonality, and intermittency. It is precisely this divide that the reform aims to correct.
The explanatory memorandum to the 2026 Finance Bill sets out the course of action: relax the criteria, broaden the scope of beneficiaries, and conduct the actuarial studies necessary to achieve sustainable financial equilibrium. For self-employed workers, a bill has already been finalized and financial simulations are continuing in order to establish a viable model. o

Khadija MASMOUDI