Accra: The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has reported a growth in employment in Ghana, reflecting a decline in the unemployment rate in 2024, primarily occurring in the informal sector, which has been described as 'insecure.' The national unemployment rate decreased from 14.9 percent in the first quarter of 2023 to 13.1 percent in the fourth quarter of 2024, with the working population of individuals aged 15 years and older reaching 14.2 million. Employment expanded steadily, with 409,000 more jobs in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to the third quarter, as stated by Dr. Alhassan Iddrisu, the Government Statistician. This announcement was made during the release of the July edition of the Quarterly Labour Statistics of the Annual Household Income and Expenditure Survey (AHIES).
According to Ghana News Agency, the report offers detailed insights into key labor indicators, including employment, unemployment, underemployment, and labor underutilization, as well as sectoral and demographic patterns. Dr. Iddrisu highlighted that the country's unemployment rate averaged 13.6 percent in 2024, a decrease from 14.6 percent in 2023, marking a one percentage point decline. Despite this modest progress, disparities persist, with too many jobs remaining informal and insecure. The services sector emerged as the largest employer, with an average employment of 5.5 million in 2024, followed by agriculture with 4.8 million and industry with 2.1 million.
In 2024, the youth unemployment rate for ages 15-24 averaged 32 percent, and for ages 15-35, it averaged 22.5 percent, with seven out of ten unemployed individuals falling within the youth category. Dr. Iddrisu emphasized the need for expanded and more focused labor market practices and policies, such as retraining and reskilling programs to address skills mismatch and enhance employability. Tackling youth and long-term unemployment, bridging regional disparities, formalizing informal work, and aligning skills training with market needs remain urgent priorities for the country.
Dr. Iddrisu urged the government to enhance apprenticeship and job placement services, reform Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to align training with demand, and create avenues for affordable credit to small businesses. Addressing the unemployment issue should not be the sole responsibility of the government, he stated, encouraging the private sector to develop structured internships and entry-level roles for graduates and to increase partnerships with educational institutions to align academic programs with labor market needs. For the country's development partners, he called for channeling more resources into rural job creation initiatives and scalable youth employment programs, while aligning donor projects with Ghana's employment priorities for maximum impact.
