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The latest findings from the Ghana Statistical Service’s (GSS) Annual Household Income and Expenditure Survey (AHIES) Labor Force Bulletin have brought attention to a worrying trend in the country’s employment scenario.
According to the report, which analyzed data from 2022 and 2023, more than 500,000 Ghanaians shifted from employment to unemployment during this period.
Specifically, the GSS report notes that out of the 530,000 individuals who moved from employment to unemployment status between the fourth quarter of 2022 and the first quarter of 2023, over half, approximately 280,000, remained unemployed in the second quarter of 2023. This trend continued, with about 160,000 people transitioning from employment to unemployment between the second and third quarters of 2023.
Overall, an average of 240,000 individuals were unemployed during the first three quarters of 2023. However, there was a ray of hope as the report also highlighted that roughly 60,000 individuals who were unemployed in the second quarter of 2023 were able to find employment in the third quarter.
In a separate aspect, the report pointed out that among 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 (about three out of every four) remained unemployed in the second quarter of 2023. Furthermore, around 130,000 persons moved from being outside the labor force to unemployment status between the second and third quarters of 2023.
The AHIES Labor Force Bulletin serves as a vital source of information, offering quarterly labor force statistics for the population aged 15 and above. Utilizing data from the 2022 and 2023 AHIES surveys, it sheds light on various aspects, including transitions across labor force statuses, durations of unemployment, changes in employment and unemployment rates on a yearly and quarterly basis, and other labor-related metrics.
This nationally representative, high-frequency panel aims to inform policy-making and planning in alignment with Ghana’s national development goals for its labor force. The concerning rise in unemployment underscores the urgency of targeted interventions and strategies to tackle the evolving challenges confronting the Ghanaian workforce.