The Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry is urging the government to offer incentives to businesses in light of a worsening unemployment crisis.

Recent data from the 2023 annual household income and expenditure report reveals a concerning 14.7% unemployment rate among individuals aged 15-35.

According to the Ghana Statistical Service, the sharp increase in the unemployment rate of females between the fourth quarter of 2022 and the first quarter of 2023 has culminated in a wider unemployment gender gap in 2023, compared to 2022.

The difference in the unemployment rates between urban and rural areas also widened successively for the first three quarters of 2023.

In the second and third quarters of 2023, the urban unemployment rate, it said was almost twice compared of rural areas.

About 440,000 persons joined the labour force between 2023 Quarter one and 2023 Quarter three, of which more than 60.0% were employed during the period

President of the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Clement Osei Amoako believes there is a way to ameliorate the matter.

He is advocating for the government to establish a financially conducive environment for the private sector to absorb the unemployed youth.