According to Professor Samuel Kobina Annim, the government statistician, a survey by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) revealed that 1.8 million youngsters, or 28.8 percent of those between the ages of 15 and 24, are not enrolled in school, are not employed, or are not in training.

In order to reduce the nation's unemployment rate, Prof. Annim called the situation alarming and encouraged the government to identify these people and address their needs.

The first and second quarters of the Ghana Annual Households Income and Expenditure Survey (AHIES) 2022, which includes a report on food security, multidimensional poverty, and labor statistics, were launched at the time he made this statement.

The report revealed that about 445,000 persons who were 15 years and older, and outside the labour force, raised the level of unemployment in the country.

These persons, according to the report, were people who were either sick and in school or on retirement.

He, however, said that the report indicated an unemployment rate increase from 13.4 per cent to 13.9 percent, a situation that implied a higher employment rate of 86.6 percent and 86.1 percent respectively for the two quarters.

Prof Annim explained that the high rate of employment was as a result of people who were in vulnerable employment, constituting 67 percent while 24 percent of persons had secured employment.

Prof Annim said these vulnerable groups were either working without employees or contributing family workers.

He said the GSS was going to engage with labour economists to understand the dynamics of the report holistically, and to aid in policy formulation for the country.

Prof Kwaku Appiah-Adu, Director, Monitoring and evaluation and Public Enterprises, Office of the Vice President, said the report was necessary for policy formulation for the Government and all other institutions to help deliver on the needs of the people.

He commended the Government Statistician and the GSS team for the opportunity to share the findings of the AHIES report, adding that the Government would put the findings of the report into good use.

Prof Appiah-Adu said the data and statistical information provided the measurement of national development in order to improve the living standards of the people.

The report, he stated, when presented to the Office of the Presidency would go a long way to impact on economic and social development policies.

AHIES is the first nationally representative high-frequency household panel survey in Ghana.

It was conducted to obtain quarterly and annual data on household final consumption expenditure, and a wide scope of demographic, economic and welfare variables including statistics on labour, food security, multidimensional poverty and health status for research, policy, and planning.