The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Presidential Candidate and Vice President of Ghana, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has asserted that the government has created 2.1 million jobs between 2017 and 2022 despite the global economic crisis.
Dr. Bawumia made the claim on February 7, 2024, when he addressed the nation during his Vision for Ghana speech titled “Ghana’s Next Chapter: Selfless Leadership and Bold Solutions for the Future” on paragraph 23 of page 14.
The claim generates public interest and it is worth fact-checking as job creation is a significant policy indicator and has implications for the economy and employment rates in Ghana. The relationship between job creation and employment is intricate, as job creation influences employment levels within a country’s economy.
When new jobs are created, either through the establishment of new businesses or the expansion of existing ones, it leads to increased opportunities for individuals to find employment.
Verification
The 2022 fourth quarter Labour Statistics Report of the Ghana Annual Household Income and Expenditure Survey by the Ghana Statistical Service on page 15 indicated that, “On average, about 11 million persons were employed in every quarter of 2022.” Also, a total of 9,270,941 were employed in the year 2015 according to the 2015 Labour Force Report of the GSS on Table 4.1 on page 31.
This means that the total employment in Ghana increased from approximately 9.27 million in 2015 to approximately 11.22 million in 2022, according to the Ghana Statistical Service. The increase in employment during this period is approximately 1.95 million.
Analysis
Based on the above, it is evident that there has been significant job creation in Ghana during the specified period. However, the available data does not fully support the claim of 2.1 million jobs created between 2017 and 2022.
Conclusion
While there has been notable progress in job creation in Ghana during the stated timeframe, the claim of 2.1 million jobs created by the government is not fully substantiated by the data provided.