1.5 million out of the 11.5 million active Ghanaian labour force are unemployed, the 2022 Population and Housing Census conducted by the Ghana Statistical Service has revealed.

This translates into 13.4% of jobless Ghanaians.

About half a million out of the unemployed are persons who are 15 years and older, and who are also first time job seekers.

According to the Government Statistician, Professor Samuel Kobina Annim, 65.8% of the labour force are not searching for jobs because of lack of faith in the government.

Economic activity among males (63.5%) is substantially higher than females (53%).

Also half a million (487,470), representing 2.5% of persons 15 years and older are first time job seekers, with almost equal proportion of males (2.5%) and females (2.4%).

Involvement of children in economic activity in Oti region (20.8%) is more than six times the national figure (3.2%). It is also prominent in five other regions: North east (11.4%), Savannah (9.9%), Upper West (9.3%), Northern (8.6%) and Upper East (6.1%).

Almost 230,000 children between the ages of 5 and 14 are engaged in economic activity, predominately in the agricultural sector.

In the Greater Accra region, children’s involvement in economic activity is predominately in service and sales.

Industry employs 14% of labour workforce

The report also showed that the Agricultural Sector employs 33% of the total workforce of the population in 2021. This is compared with 60% in 1984 and 42% in 2010.

For the Services Sector, it engages 53% of the population in 2021, compared with 27% in 1984 and 43% in 2010.

Industry is the least employer in the Ghanaian economy, recruiting 14% of the population. This is compared to about 13% in 1984 and 15% in 2010