GSS: 1.3 million young Ghanaians idle as youth unemployment deepens

More than 1.3 million young Ghanaians were out of work, school, or training in the third quarter of 2025, underscoring persistent labor market pressures and widening skills gaps, according to new data from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS).

The figures show that 1.3 million people aged 15 to 24, representing 21.5 per cent of the age cohort, were classified as not in education, employment or training (NEET), highlighting growing concerns about youth disengagement from productive economic activity.

The data also reveal sharp regional disparities. NEET rates among persons aged 15 to 35 ranged from a high of 25.3 per cent in the Central Region to a low of 9.5 per cent in the Oti Region, pointing to uneven access to jobs, education, and training opportunities across the country.

Beyond outright unemployment, labour underutilisation remains elevated. About one in five employed persons was underutilised, with the composite labour underutilisation rate holding at 23.0 per cent in the second quarter and edging up slightly to 23.4 per cent in the third quarter, with little variation across gender or locality.

Underemployment was more pronounced in rural areas, averaging 15.3 per cent in the second quarter and 14.9 per cent in the third quarter, compared with 9.5 per cent and 9.7 percent, respectively, in urban centres.

The GSS data further point to persistent skills and education mismatches in the labour market. In the third quarter, 65.8 per cent of employed persons said their skills matched job requirements, while more than 10 per cent felt over-skilled, particularly men and urban workers.

A further 3.3 per cent reported having skills below job requirements, with the highest shares among men and rural workers.

Education mismatch followed a similar pattern.

While 58.4 per cent of workers said their education level matched their jobs, 8.2 per cent considered themselves overqualified and 15.7 per cent underqualified, with underqualification most prevalent in rural areas.

Youth unemployment remained significantly higher than the national average.

In the second and third quarters, unemployment averaged 32.5 per cent among persons aged 15 to 24 and 21.9 per cent among those aged 15 to 35.

Greater Accra recorded the highest youth unemployment rates in the third quarter, while Bono East posted the lowest, reinforcing concerns about the concentration of youth joblessness in urban economic hubs.

The GSS notes that the findings underscore the urgent need for targeted skills development, job creation and regional interventions to absorb Ghana’s growing youth population into productive employment