Dr. John Kumah, the Deputy Minister of Finance, has reiterated the government’s commitment to tackling the nation’s unemployment issue head-on.

He listed a number of programs that are designed to address the urgent problem of employment shortage, including YouStart, the Ghana Enterprise Agency, and the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme.

The Third Quarter Labour Statistics Report of the 2023 Annual Household Income and Expenditure Survey indicates that there is reason for alarm.

During the first three quarters of 2023, the unemployment rate increased by 1.1% from 13.6% to 14.7%. The gender gap in unemployment is especially notable, with women often experiencing greater rates.

Dr. Kumah acknowledged the gender disparity and cited the significant increase in female unemployment from 2022 to 2023. He did, however, emphasize the government’s commitment to luring investments and fostering an atmosphere that encourages the creation of jobs.

“The Ghana Statistical Service on Wednesday announced that about 1.5 million Ghanaian youth are unemployed. Last year, E-levy generated GH¢1.19 billion and as part of dealing with the job situation… unemployment situation, government has committed funds through YouStart from this E-levy sources…to GEA and NEIP to address the unemployment situation in the country, and I am happy to announce that institutions like Wealth and Jobs Expo and all private groups that are willing to help create jobs in the private sector will also be supported to help create jobs and businesses in the private sector,” he said.