Ghana’s unemployment rate eased marginally to 13.0% in the third quarter of 2025, reflecting modest labour market improvements that remain inadequate to absorb the expanding workforce, particularly among the youth.
Figures from the Quarterly Labour Force Survey covering the first three quarters of 2025 indicate that unemployment fell from 13.1% in the final quarter of 2024 to 12.8% in the first quarter of 2025, dropped further to 12.6% in the second quarter, before climbing back to 13.0% in the third quarter. This translates into an average unemployment rate of 12.8% across the first three quarters of 2025.
During the period, more than 15 million individuals were active in the labour force, with about 87% employed each quarter. Employment grew by over 330,000 between Q1 and Q3, rising from 13.09 million to 13.42 million. Female employment consistently outpaced male employment throughout the year.
Government Statistician Dr Iddrisu Alhassan cautioned that the pace of job creation remains too slow to drive a sustained reduction in unemployment.
“Jobs are increasing, but the unemployment rate is not falling in a sustained way,” he said, stressing that new job creation is still not fast enough to absorb new entrants, especially young people and urban job seekers.
Youth Unemployment Remains a Major Challenge
The report highlights persistent youth unemployment, which continues to exceed national averages. In Q3 2025, unemployment among those aged 15–24 stood at 32.4%, more than double the overall rate.
About 1.34 million young people (21.5%) in this age group were not engaged in employment, education, or training (NEET). Among those aged 15–35, nearly 2.0 million (19.5%) fell into the same category. Regional disparities were evident, with the Central Region recording the highest NEET rate at 25.3%, while the Oti Region posted the lowest at 9.5%.
Sectoral Employment Trends
The Services sector remained the largest employer, engaging 6.0 million people in Q3, followed by Agriculture (5.0 million) and Industry (2.5 million). In percentage terms, 44.5% of workers were in Services, 37.2% in Agriculture, and 18.2% in Industry.
Ten of Ghana’s sixteen regions had more than half of their workforce in Agriculture, with the Savannah Region recording the highest share at 71.1%.
Job Quality and Skills Utilisation
Despite employment gains, job quality remains a pressing issue. Over 72% of workers were in vulnerable employment in Q3, with female workers disproportionately affected (79.1%) compared to males (63.7%).
The survey also sheds light on skills utilisation and work arrangements. While more than half of workers reported their skills were fully utilised, about one in five felt underutilised—particularly women and rural workers. Skills and education mismatches continue to persist across the labour market.
Night work remains limited, with only 1.6% of workers regularly engaged in night shifts in Q2 and Q3. Yet, nearly half of those not currently in shift-based jobs expressed interest, pointing to untapped demand for alternative work structures.
Policy Implications
Dr Alhassan emphasized that the findings highlight the urgency of policies that expand labour absorption while improving job quality.
He noted that sustained reductions in unemployment will depend on deliberate policy choices that connect job creation, skills development, and initiatives such as the 24 Hour Economy to actual labour market demand.
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