Ghana’s Unemployment Crisis: GSS Survey Reveals Disturbing Trends
Startling revelations have emerged from the latest data released by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), shedding light on concerning shifts in the country’s employment landscape. The Annual Household Income and Expenditure Survey (AHIES) Labour Force Bulletin, covering the years 2022 and 2023, paints a stark picture of over 500,000 Ghanaians transitioning from employment to unemployment during this period.
According to the report, a staggering 530,000 individuals moved from being employed to unemployed between the fourth quarter of 2022 and the first quarter of 2023. Alarmingly, more than half of this group, approximately 280,000 people, remained jobless in the subsequent quarter.
The distressing trend persisted, with an additional 160,000 individuals transitioning from employment to unemployment status between the second and third quarters of 2023. On average, a concerning 240,000 individuals found themselves unemployed over the first three quarters of 2023. However, amidst this gloom, there was a ray of hope as approximately 60,000 individuals managed to secure employment in the third quarter after being unemployed in the previous quarter.
The report also highlights another worrying aspect, revealing that out of the 540,000 individuals who shifted from being outside the labor force to unemployment status between the fourth quarter of 2022 and the first quarter of 2023, a staggering 410,000 remained unemployed in the second quarter of 2023. Additionally, around 130,000 individuals moved from being outside the labor force to unemployment status between the second and third quarters of 2023.
The AHIES Labour Force Bulletin serves as a vital source of information, offering quarterly labor force statistics for individuals aged 15 and older. Derived from surveys conducted in 2022 and 2023, this data provides insights into various aspects of the labor force, including mobility across labor force statuses, unemployment spells, and changes in employment and unemployment rates.
As Ghana grapples with these alarming trends in unemployment, there is a pressing need for targeted interventions and strategies to address the evolving challenges faced by the workforce. The findings underscore the importance of informed policy-making and proactive measures aligned with Ghana’s national development agendas to tackle the unemployment crisis head-on.
