Ghana witnessed a notable 14.6% surge in youth unemployment, according to the Ghana Statistical Service.The overall unemployment rate for the period reached 14.7%, marking a 1.1% increase from the 2022 figure.

Gender disparities became evident as female unemployment consistently outpaced male unemployment, leading to a widening gender gap compared to the previous year.This discrepancy was particularly notable due to a significant rise in female unemployment between Q4 2022 and Q1 2023, as highlighted in the 2023 Annual Household Income and Expenditure Survey Third Quarter Labour Statistics Report.

The report also revealed a progressive widening of the unemployment gap between urban and rural areas throughout the initial three quarters of 2023.In the second and third quarters, urban unemployment rates were nearly double those in rural areas.

Regionally, only Eastern, Bono East, Oti, and Upper West reported unemployment rates below the national average across all quarters, while Greater Accra and the Ashanti region consistently experienced rates surpassing the national average.

The high unemployment in Ghana is attributed to a misalignment between education and the skills demanded by the labor market.

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