Youth unemployment could trigger social crisis

Ghana risks facing an explosive social crisis if urgent measures are not taken to address youth unemployment and create productive opportunities for the country’s growing young population, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, the Minister of Finance, has warned.

He said the increasing number of young people entering the working-age population, without corresponding employment opportunities, was creating deepening frustration that could undermine the country’s social and economic stability.

Dr. Forson said the situation demanded more than promises, calling for a deliberate shift towards an economy that could absorb the growing workforce through industrialisation, production and sustainable job creation.

He was speaking during an engagement with the National House of Chiefs in Kumasi as part of consultations ahead of the 2027 Budget Statement.

He said: “Employment is something that every young person is asking for.

“If we fail to act today, the challenge could grow into an explosive social crisis.
“We must act now to turn our youth’s abilities into productivity and their unanswered hopes into opportunities.”

The Minister painted a picture of the growing social consequences of unemployment, particularly for families who had invested their limited resources in educating their children, only to watch them struggle to secure jobs after graduation.

He said the frustration was not lost on him, having served as a Member of Parliament for nearly two decades and witnessed firsthand the persistent demand for employment opportunities among constituents.

Dr Forson said young people increasingly looked to their Members of Parliament for jobs, but the country’s economic structure needed to change to create opportunities on a scale that individual political representatives could not provide.

He argued that Ghana must move beyond an economy that produces an increasing number of job seekers to one that creates opportunities through productive investments and industrial expansion.

He said: “Our population has grown, and our productive ambition must grow with it.
“Let us earn our demographic dividends and build industrial strength that can make Ghana a centre of production and opportunity in West Africa.”
Dr Forson called for stronger collaboration among government, traditional authorities and other stakeholders to establish a new development pathway capable of delivering jobs and prosperity for future generations.

He said the support and wisdom of the traditional authorities would be important in laying out a firm foundation for the country’s economic transformation.

With Ghana preparing to celebrate 70 years of independence in 2027, he expressed hope that collective efforts would help position the country among first-class nations in the years ahead.

This, he said, required a deliberate change in the country’s development priorities to ensure that economic growth translated into meaningful employment and improved living standards.

Dr Forson said the next economic agenda must be centered on building an economy that worked for young people, providing them with opportunities to apply their knowledge and skills in productive ventures rather than leaving them with limited prospects.

He stressed that the country could not rely solely on temporary relief measures but needed to establish a strong productive base capable of sustaining employment and generating wealth over the long term.