The Executive Director of the Institute of Economic Research and Public Policy (IERPP), Isaac Boadi, has cautioned that Ghana’s declining headline unemployment rate masks a deeper crisis, with young people disproportionately affected.
Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Wednesday (16 March), Boadi said youth unemployment remains structurally high, noting that “seven out of every 10 unemployed individuals are youth,” underscoring what he described as an urgent national economic threat.
He further highlighted that about 25% of young people fall within the category of those not in employment, education, or training (NEET), warning that this reflects systemic weaknesses in Ghana’s labour market.
According to him, while successive governments have introduced interventions to tackle unemployment and poverty, the scale of the problem suggests that current approaches are inadequate.
Boadi questioned whether existing employment data truly reflects job quality, arguing that many opportunities being created may be low-paying or vulnerable roles that fail to deliver long-term economic stability.
“If we want to do a proper analysis, it requires a systemic overhaul,” he stated.
He pointed to a mismatch between education and industry needs, criticising tertiary institutions for running programmes that are not aligned with labour market demands, particularly in science, technology, and vocational skills.
To address the issue, he proposed the creation of a centralised national database capturing unemployed persons’ qualifications, digital skills, and location to better match job seekers with opportunities.
Boadi also called for a structured, multi-year employment strategy that targets high-impact sectors such as health, education, and security.
He warned that failure to address youth unemployment decisively could pose long-term risks to national stability.
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