The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has called for coordinated action among government, the private sector, households and development partners to tackle persistent unemployment, skills mismatches and widening regional disparities in the labour market.
This call comes on the release of latest Quarterly Labour Statistics.
Drawing from data in the Annual Household Income and Expenditure Survey (AHIES) covering Q4 2023 to Q4 2024, it revealed that the country’s labour force averaged 14 million for 2024 – with more than 85 percent employed in each quarter.
Employment rose steadily, adding about 409,000 jobs in the final quarter of 2024 compared to the previous one.
Despite these gains, the national unemployment rate – though declining from 14.9 percent in early 2023 to 13.1 percent by end-2024 – remains high, particularly among young people. Youth aged 15–24 recorded an average unemployment rate of 32 percent in 2024, rising to 36.7 percent in the last quarter with seven in ten unemployed persons falling within the 15–35 age bracket.
Long-term unemployment is becoming entrenched, with more than 355,000 people jobless for at least 12 months between 2022 and 2024. By the end of 2024, four in ten unemployed had been out of work for at least a year – 86 percent of them in urban areas.
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Regional disparities were also pronounced. Greater Accra, Ashanti and Western Regions reported higher employment shares but unemployment rates above the national average, while Bono, Northern, Upper West and Eastern Regions saw rising unemployment throughout 2024. Rural underemployment remained acute in North East, Upper East and Volta Regions.
Gender differences persisted, with female employment consistently exceeding male employment by 1.12 million in Q4 2024 – though most women remained in vulnerable informal jobs. Men were more likely to secure wage-paying roles.
Launching the report, Government Statistician Dr Alhassan Iddrisu said the data underscores both resilience and deep structural weaknesses. He stressed that addressing unemployment, skills gaps and regional inequalities requires a collective response.
The GSS recommended scaling up apprenticeships, graduate employment schemes and job placement services while aligning Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) with emerging digital, industrial and green economy demands. It further urged stronger investment in job creation policies, particularly the 24-hour economy alongside targetted interventions for youth and long-term unemployed groups.
The private sector was encouraged to provide structured internships, mentorships and entry-level roles and support formalisation of informal enterprises. Development partners were urged to align with Ghana’s national priorities, strengthen evidence-based monitoring and finance youth livelihood programmes.
At the household level, families were advised to encourage technical and vocational training, promote gender inclusivity and support women’s entry into higher-skilled and STEM-related jobs.
“The employment challenge is not one stakeholder’s burden. It will take a joint effort to create decent, secure and inclusive jobs across the country,” he noted.
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