Youth joblessness still high despite drop in unemployment
The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has reported a marginal decline in the national unemployment rate, though youth joblessness remains a pressing challenge.
Releasing the July 2025 edition of the Quarterly Labour Statistics, Government Statistician Dr Alhassan Iddrisu revealed that Ghana’s unemployment rate dropped from 13.3 per cent in the third quarter of 2024 to 13.1 per cent in the fourth quarter.
He described the development as a modest gain but stressed that it masks the persistent struggles of young people in the labour market.
“In 2024, youth unemployment remained alarmingly high, 22.5 per cent among those aged 15 to 35 years and 32 per cent for those aged 15 to 24 years. This underscores the urgent need for expanded labour market interventions such as retraining and re-skilling programmes to address skills mismatch and improve employability,” he noted.
Dr Iddrisu emphasised the importance of creating more opportunities to absorb Ghana’s growing youthful workforce.
He cited initiatives such as the 24-hour economy policy as potential avenues to provide flexible and accessible job opportunities.
“This reflects persistent youth unemployment challenges and disengagement from both work and education. Expanding economic opportunities and implementing targeted initiatives like the 24-hour economy are critical to addressing this problem,” Dr Iddrisu indicated.
The GSS put forward recommendations to tackle labour underutilisation and skills gaps. These include scaling up apprenticeships, graduate employment schemes and job placement services.
The Service further called for reforms in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to align skills training with labour market demand, particularly in digital, industrial and green economy sectors.
Dr Iddrisua stressed the need for affordable credit to small businesses, especially those led by women and youth, to spur job creation.
The GSS also called for urgent, targeted and sustainable policy interventions.
