Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has expressed worry over the alarming youth unemployment rate and homelessness in the country.
In an address to Parliament on Wednesday, June 12, the speaker warned that current joblessness and hopelessness among the youth could have significant and potentially dangerous repercussions in the forthcoming elections.
Mr Bagbin stressed the urgent need for political leaders to address this pressing issue.
“The joblessness, the homelessness and the hopelessness of the youth cannot be taken lightly. We must act together and now to prevent a journey to calamity or a journey of no return,” he stated.
He called on members of Parliament to prioritize and engage in efforts to resolve these challenges.
“The public does not give a dime what goes on in between the starting together and finishing together. With these, it is clear that as representatives of the people we have a significant amount of work ahead of us.
“I therefore urge all members to patronise the work and ensure that we make progress on these important matters,” Mr Bagbin added.
Unemployment remains a critical concern for a lot of people.
The average rate of unemployment in the country has risen to 14.7 per cent in the first three quarters of 2023.
The number of unemployed youth aged between 15 and 35 rose from about 1.2 million to over 1.3 million during the same period with the rate among females consistently higher than males.
This is according to records sourced from the Annual Household Income and Expenditure Survey Quarter Three Labour Bulletin by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS).
The survey further indicated that the number of youth without jobs in 2022 only saw a dip in the second quarter of last year.
The sharp increase in the unemployment rate of females between the fourth quarter of 2022 and the first quarter of 2023 has culminated in a wider unemployment gender gap in 2023 relative to 2022.
As a result, a staggering number of people have fled the country seeking greener pastures.