Ghana’s unemployment rate drops to 13.6% — Report
Ghana’s unemployment rate fell slightly to 13.6 percent in 2024, down from 14.6 percent in 2023, according to new labour data from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS).
The one-percentage point drop marks a modest improvement but does little to ease the deepening struggles of the country’s youth.
The Annual Household Income and Expenditure Survey (Q4 Labour Statistics 2024) shows that joblessness among Ghanaians aged 15 to 35 remains stubbornly high at 22.5 percent. This highlights the persistent pressure on first-time jobseekers and graduates, even as overall employment numbers rise.
The survey reveals that Ghana added 1.15 million jobs in 2024, bringing total employment to 12.73 million. Yet, the number of unemployed persons also increased by about 200,000 compared to 2023, exposing the strain of a fast-growing labour force that continues to outpace job creation. Analysts say this trend reflects expanding opportunity but also structural weaknesses in job quality and the economy’s limited ability to absorb new entrants.
The report also underscores shifting gender dynamics in the labour market. Female employment has consistently outpaced male employment since early 2022, with the gap widening to over 1.1 million by the end of 2024. While this points to progress in women’s labour participation, it also masks disparities in job quality, stability, and access to formal work.
Beyond unemployment, the survey flagged high levels of NEET — young people not in employment, education, or training. The GSS warns that this growing segment represents a major source of social and economic exclusion, threatening to entrench long-term underutilisation of Ghana’s human capital.
Despite the headline drop in the unemployment rate, the picture that emerges is one of fragile gains, where job growth is outpaced by demand and young people remain trapped in the margins of the economy.