Ghana posted marginal improvements in employment conditions in 2025, with the unemployment rate standing at 13.0 percent in the third quarter. While the figures suggest some labour market resilience, they also highlight ongoing challenges in absorbing new entrants, particularly the youth.
The Quarterly Labour Force Survey indicates that unemployment declined steadily from 13.1 percent in the fourth quarter of 2024 to 12.6 percent by the second quarter of 2025, before reversing course and rising to 13.0 percent in the third quarter. Overall, the unemployment rate averaged 12.8 percent across the first three quarters of the year.
The labour force exceeded 15 million over the period, with about 87 percent employed each quarter. Employment rose by more than 330,000 between the first and third quarters, climbing from 13.09 million to 13.42 million, with women accounting for a larger share of jobs.
Dr. Iddrisu Alhassan, a government statistician, stated that the rate of job creation is still too sluggish to support a long-term drop in unemployment.
“Jobs are increasing, but the unemployment rate is not falling in a sustained way, he said, adding that new job creation is still not fast enough to absorb new entrants, especially young people and urban job seekers”, He explained.
Youth unemployment continues to trail behind national labour market trends, according to the report. In the third quarter of 2025, unemployment among individuals aged 15 to 24 rose to 32.4 percent, more than twice the national average.
Approximately 1.34 million young people in this age group—21.5 percent—were neither employed nor enrolled in education or training. Among those aged 15 to 35, close to 2.0 million, representing 19.5 percent, were classified as NEET. The data reveal wide regional disparities, with the Central Region recording the highest NEET rate at 25.3 percent, compared with just 9.5 percent in the Oti Region.
The findings show that the Services sector continues to drive employment nationwide, absorbing about 6.0 million workers in the third quarter. Agriculture followed with 5.0 million employed persons, while Industry engaged approximately 2.5 million workers.
In terms of employment, services made up 44.5 percent, agriculture 37.2 percent, and industry 18.2 percent. Ten regions have employment shares in agriculture that are more than 50%, indicating a significant regional reliance on agriculture, according to the data. The largest concentration, 71.1 percent, was found in the Savannah Region.
Although employment is rising, job quality remains a concern, with over 72 percent of workers in vulnerable employment in the third quarter. Women were particularly affected, accounting for nearly 80 percent compared with 64 percent of men.
The report also looked at skills utilisation. While more than half of employees felt their skills were fully used, about one in five, especially women and rural workers, reported underutilisation, highlighting gaps between education, skills, and workplace needs.
Only 1.6 percent of workers were regularly on night shifts in the second and third quarters, but almost half of non-shift workers expressed interest in such arrangements.
Dr Alhassan emphasized that the results highlight the importance of policies that expand employment and improve job quality. He noted that linking job creation, skills development, and initiatives like the 24-Hour Economy to labour market demand is key to reducing unemployment sustainably.
