About 1.1 million males, 15 years and older, who were employed in the country during the first quarter of this year became jobless by the second quarter, the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has revealed.
It said almost 9.4 per cent (429,607) of employed males and an additional 15.7 per cent (716,030) were either unemployed or out of the labour force respectively, by the second quarter.
“In the Upper East Region, seven out every 10 (69.0 per cent) males employed in the first quarter were no longer employed in the second. Theirs is the highest rate in the country distantly followed by the North East Region (43.9 per cent),” the GSS indicated in a statement to commemorate this year’s International Men’s Day (IMD).
Marked every November 19, IMD celebrates the positive value men bring to the world, their families and communities, highlighting positive role models and raising awareness of men’s well-being.
This year’s commemoration on the theme; “Helping Men and Boys,” seeks to advance efforts at supporting men to live up to their full potential while contributing meaningfully to societal and national development.
According to the GSS, the statistics, generated from the 2022 Annual Household Income and Expenditure Survey (AHIES), indicates that the mean hourly earnings for males in the second quarter was GH¢9.9, falling slightly from GH¢11.0 in the first quarter.
“The AHIES 2022 Q1 and Q2 Report estimates that 600,893 males 15 to 24 years were not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) in the second quarter, an increase of over100,000 from the 463,260 recorded in the first quarter.”
“Data from the 2021 Population and Housing Census (PHC) further indicates that 3,335,604 males 15 and older, are not literate; thus cannot read and write with understanding in any language with almost half a million (459,110) boys, four to 14 years currently not attending school.”
The statistical body noted further, that one in every five males (19.5 per cent); six years and older did not use an information, communication technology (ICT) device in the three months preceding Census Night i.e. April to June 2021.
“The Savannah (42.7 per cent) and North East (41.3 per cent) regions have the highest proportion of males not using ICT with figures about twice the national average,” it noted.
BY TIMES REPORTER
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