Estimating the Determinants and Extent of Morocco’s Education and Skill Mismatch Through the STEP Survey

Abstract

This study aimed to comprehend the patterns and scope of the education mismatch in the Moroccan labor market by collecting and analyzing an extensive database of the types of skills that fuel economic expansion and growth. A self-assessment approach was used to determine the extent of mismatch in Morocco by adopting the World Bank’s Skills Toward Employment and Productivity (STEP) survey, which applies mainly to low- and middle-income countries. The study sample consisted of 416 respondents who matched the stipulated criteria. Various statistical tests like the descriptive test, chi-square, and Spearman’s r coefficient were employed to determine the correlation between the three modules of the STEP program and demographic aspects of the respondents. Under the self-assessment approach, the results showed a preponderance of mismatched employees at 55.1%, while 44.9% were matched. The mismatch was found to be vertical. The findings imply that cognitive skills are statistically significant with the required job-specific skills. This is one of the few studies that address the skill mismatch in the North African region and the first to examine the Moroccan case.