The Ghana Statistical Service's (GSS) government statistician, Professor Samuel Kobina Annim, has raised alarms over the country's employment landscape, stating that a substantial portion of the workforce, specifically two-thirds, is engaged in vulnerable employment.

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Citi FM, Professor Annim highlighted the challenges posed by Ghana's escalating unemployment rate, currently at 14.7 percent.

He expressed concern that the situation might be more dire than the unemployment figures indicate, pointing out that many employed individuals face vulnerabilities in their employment status.

“When it comes to the Ghanaian economy, of those who are employed, two-thirds are in vulnerable employment. We have about 20,000 people who have been unemployed for a period of the seven quarters that we have and if you take the last six months, we have in excess of 1.3 million people who have stayed unemployed,” Professor Annim told host Bernard Avle.

According to the Annual Household Income and Expenditure Survey Quarter Three Labour Bulletin by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), the average unemployment rate in Ghana surged to 14.7 percent in the first three quarters of 2023.

He emphasized the need for national discussions to focus on improving the conditions of service for those currently employed.

Professor Annim urged policymakers to concentrate on developing solutions that address the multifaceted challenges faced by the employed population.

“And with all these categorizations that we have in terms of the unemployment spell, we have tertiary holders as part of it so these are the details that I always encourage that conversations should be segued to so that policymakers will be directed in their thoughts on how to deal with the unemployment situation.”