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Policymakers need to focus on employment generation not job creation – Prof. Baah-Boateng
Prof. Baah-Boateng
Economist, Professor William Baah-Boateng, has charged policymakers to move away from job creation to employment generation.
Using job creation as a term for temporary employment over a very short period, he noted that if policymakers continue to use ‘gigs’ to address the unemployment situation in the country, they would inadvertently create even more unemployment.
Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express Business Edition, he said, “Yes, you’ve created that amount of job that is fine, but if you’ve created that amount of job and it’s not sustainable – it takes just a week for that job [to be done], the person will come back to ask for more.
“And that is why your unemployment rate will continue to rise because you’ve created a job for a person and that job lasted for only one month or only a week. So after that the person joins the unemployed.”
He noted that to get a clearer picture of the employment situation in the country, he advised that policymakers pay critical attention to those exiting the job market.
“When you want to talk about employment generation or you want to equate it as job creation in terms of numbers you need to look at the exit, those who are exiting, to be able to get the net. So you’re here, business desk, let’s say you have five people employed and then three leaves.
“Three of them they leave so you’re left with two and then your employers bring two so you’re four and you say ‘oh we have created jobs for two people’ that it cannot be because three people have left and replaced them by two. So if anything at all there is negative employment creation,” he said.
According to Prof. Baah-Boateng, to achieve sustainable employment policymakers would have to create jobs that can keep a person employed for at least half a year.
“So policymakers should move away from what they call job creation to employment generation. And that employment generation here we’re talking about employing somebody sustainably, and that kind of employment can last for at least six months,” he said.
His comments come on the back of the Ghana Statistical Service’s Quarterly Labour Statistics Report which revealed that about 1.76 million persons were unemployed in the third quarter of 2022.
Within this population, two out of every three unemployed persons were females.
Across the three quarters, about 157,000 persons experienced an unemployment spell that is they were unemployed in all the quarters.
The report further said close to 7.5 million persons remained employed throughout the three quarters out of the about 11 million persons employed in each quarter.
This indicates that across the three quarters about 3.5 million persons were moving in and out of employment depicting vulnerabilities.
Source: www.myjoyonline.com
The Ashanti South Regional Police Intelligence Directorate has arrested two suspects in connection with a robbery attack on an Indian national in Obuasi and a separately planned robbery operation targeting a distribution company in the same area.
On April 16, 2026, Police received credible intelligence that a group of armed men were planning an attack in Obuasi. A police team moved swiftly into the area and arrested suspect Iddrisu Fuseini, also known as “Iddi”, at his hideout in Bedieso, Obuasi.
During interrogation, he confessed to being part of a six-member gang that attacked an Indian national at his residence at New Baakoyeden, Obuasi, on April 12 2026, robbing him of GH₵150,000.00.
He disclosed that the attack was orchestrated following a tip-off from suspect Ibrahim, an employee of the victim, who informed the gang that the victim kept large sums of money.
Further investigations led to the arrest of a second suspect, Shaibu Mohammed, also known as “SM” or “Cicinati”, on 20th April 2026 at his hideout in Gausu, Obuasi. During interrogation, he admitted to participating in the planning of the robbery and confirmed that the gang had further planned to rob a distribution company near Mawuli Hotel in Obuasi.
Investigations have further revealed that both suspects are currently standing trial at the Obuasi Circuit Court in connection with a separate robbery of GH₵600,000.00.
A manhunt is ongoing to arrest the remaining accomplices, identified as Khalifa, Edward, Prof, Waddle, Ebbe, and Ibrahim, and to recover a pump action gun and a locally manufactured pistol believed to be in their possession.
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Christian Tetteh Yohuno, together with members of the Police Management Board (POMAB), on April 17, 2026, decorated nineteen (19) senior officers who have been promoted to their next ranks based on the recommendations of the Police Council and approval of the President, John Dramani Mahama.
The ceremony, held at the National Police Headquarters in Accra, forms part of efforts to recognise merit, dedication, and long-standing service within the Ghana Police Service, while strengthening leadership across key operational and administrative levels.
The officers promoted from Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) to Commissioner of Police (COP) are Dr. Luke Asue-In-Yeng Zakpaa, Mr. Frederick Agyei, Mr. Duuti Tuaruka, Mr. Arthur Osei-Akoto, Mr. Darko Offei Lomotey, Mr. Eric Ken Winful, Mr. Barnabas Nambont Nasumong, and Mr. Desmond Owusu Boampong.
The IGP and members of POMAB congratulated the officers and urged them to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and integrity in the discharge of their duties.
