1.5m Ghanaian youth between ages 15 and 24 not in employment or school- Report
One in four, or 24.2% of young people between the ages of 15 and 24 were not enrolled in school, working, or receiving training in the third quarter of 2022, according to a report by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS).
1.5 million people in this age bracket are represented by the number. A statement from the Service from the Annual Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2022 Third Quarter Labour Statistics Report made the data known.
“More than half of the youth are in Accra (312,394), Ashanti (300,161), Eastern (131,341), and Central (129,182) regions. In 13 out of the 16 regions, more than 20 per cent of young persons, 15 to 24 years were not in education, employment, or training. Eastern Region (30.0%) has the highest proportion of youth, with a figure about twice that of Bono Region (14.5%) which has the lowest proportion,” the report said.
One in ten (15–24 year olds, or 1.4 million young people) were found to have never attended school, according to the 2021 Population and Housing Census.
In the age group, a slightly higher percentage of females (12.0%) than males (10.2%) never attended school.
The percentages were 43.4% in Savannah, 36.8% in the North East, 33.3% in the North, 20.9% in the Upper West, and 20.7% in Oti.
According to the survey, the five regions were responsible for nearly half (665,508) of all young people who never attended school.
The unemployment rate for young persons 15 to 24 years recorded during the census was 32.8% with a higher rate for females (36.7%) compared to males (29.3%).
The unemployment rate for the age group was above 30per cent in 12 out of the 16 regions led by the Upper West Region (39%) and followed by Western North (38.4%).
The statement is in commemoration of this year’s World Youth Skills Day, which is celebrated annually on the 15th of July to mark the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work, and entrepreneurship.
The theme for 2023 is: “Skilling teachers, trainers, and youth for a transformative future.”
Source: GNA