Universalizing Social Protection Under Constraints
A Critical Literature Review and Stylized Facts on Structural Bottlenecks in Morocco
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.23882/emss26387Keywords:
social protection, social security contributions, formalization, informal employment, MoroccoAbstract
This study analyzes the structural and behavioral mechanisms that may constrain the transition from legal universalization to effective and continuous social protection coverage in Morocco. It adopts a critical, institutional, and documentary approach, combining international research with Moroccan legislation, institutional arrangements, official statistics, and policy assessments. International evidence is used as an analytical lens to examine how identified incentive mechanisms may operate within the Moroccan context. The analysis identifies four interrelated stylized facts. Youth inactivity and employment informality weaken the perceived value of deferred social protection benefits; interactions between contributory and non-contributory schemes generate uneven formalization disincentives; derived coverage through a spouse can reduce the marginal value of women’s individual social protection declaration; and benefit adequacy and accessibility can weaken the perceived contribution–benefit link. These findings highlight a gap between legal coverage, effective participation, and the perceived value of contributory protection. Effective universalization therefore requires more than extending statutory coverage. It also requires institutional arrangements that preserve incentives for continuous contributory participation while ensuring adequate, accessible, and individually valued social protection. The study proposes targeted interventions aimed at facilitating transitions between protection schemes, strengthening individual rights, and reinforcing the contribution–benefit relationship.
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