ipl-logo

Youth Unemployment In Ghana Essay

1521 Words7 Pages

THE ROLE OF THE INFORMAL ECONOMY IN ALLEVIATING YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT IN GHANA: THE CASE OF THE INFORMAL SERVICE ECONOMY IN KUMASI
Background of the Study
90 percent of over 1.2 billion youth across the world, aged, 15 to 29 live in developing countries. Out of this, 14 percent are estimated to be within sub-Saharan AfricaInvalid source specified.. In Ghana, the youth, which is defined as all persons between the ages of 15-35 years, number over 6 million, which translates to 20 percent of the entire population of the country Invalid source specified.. Ghana’s definition contrasts that of the International Labour Organization’s definition of the youth which includes all persons between the ages of 15 to 24 (ILO, 2012). There are reasons for the …show more content…

In Ghana, 80% of the workforce is employed in the informal sector. Invalid source specified.. This has been due to its prospect for self-employment; has easy entry and exit and less capital to establish and sustaining businesses in the sector. In spite of its advantages, it is characterized by several negatives which create a propensity to discourage the youth from exploring the sector. These over the years have included high income insecurity, underemployment, bad working conditions, uncertain work relationships and low wages, among othersInvalid source specified..
The central idea behind the study therefore, is to understand the extent to which the informal sector have alleviated youth unemployment in Ghana, by assessing the rate of their involvement, its effect on youth income and poverty, as well as the prospects that exists within the sector for further employment and improvement of the standard of living for the youth.
Problem …show more content…

Despite the critical challenges the informal sector poses to the economy of Ghana, it has a resilient and expansive nature, having a higher prospect for self-employment, and can be a profound arsenal to eradicate youth unemployment. This study therefore assesses the extent to which the informal economy has contributed to alleviating youth unemployment in Ghana. It also identifies opportunities for development within the informal sector towards job creation and security among the youth.
Research Objectives
The objectives of this study are as follows:
To understand the dimensions, causes and effects of youth unemployment in Ghana
To understand the prospects and risks of the informal economy on the young worker
To recognize the different ways by which the informal economy has contributed to reducing youth unemployment
To identify the prospects for development of the informal economy for the further alleviation of youth unemployment
Research Questions
What are the causes, effects and implications of unemployment to the

Show More
Related

  • Pros And Cons Of Gold Mining

    968 Words  | 4 Pages

    Given the negative influences of mining on the environment, some scholars have recommended putting an end to mining. It is the recommendation of this study that the government, policy makers and stakeholders take steps to minimize the adverse effect of gold mining, with reference to this study; small scale gold mining. The following are recommended: 5.2.1 On the count of bottlenecks to obtaining licenses: The Small scale gold mining act stipulates that small scale gold mining is reserved for Ghanaian citizens, and as such, obtaining licenses should be made easier and accessible to prospective miners. The government can streamline the license acquiring process by setting up offices in district capitals and empowering them to grant appropriate mining licenses with minimal cost so as to allow the average Ghanaian to obtain a license to mine. Time for issuing licenses could also be avoided with effective decentralization of the process.

    Read More

  • Unemployment In America Essay

    412 Words  | 2 Pages

    Unemployment has always been a problem in the United States and a problem generally everywhere. Citizens either have a difficult time finding a job, keeping one, or working at jobs that don’t pay enough to support themselves and their families. Taxes could also be a major factor in having careers. Taxes takes out a percentage of money every time a working citizen gets paid either with a check or through direct deposit. There was a high unemployment crash in 2008.

    Read More

  • Causes Of Structural Unemployment

    932 Words  | 4 Pages

    Introduction Through the year, in the United States, the unemployment rate and the quantity of unemployed persons were around 1.1 rate focuses and 1.7 million, separately. Among the significant laborer gathers, the unemployment rates in August indicated practically no change for grown-up men (5.7 percent), grown-up ladies (5.7 percent), adolescents (19.6 percent), whites (5.3 percent), blacks (11.4 percent), and Hispanics (7.5 percent). The quantities of long haul unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) declined by 192,000 to 3.0 million in August. These people accounted for 31.2 percent of the unemployed. In the course of recent months, the quantity of long haul unemployed has declined by 1.3 million.

    Read More

  • The Informal Economy: Poverty In The United States

    623 Words  | 3 Pages

    The reason why the informal economy is crucial to both analyze its definition and function in our capitalist nation is because people residing within power structures have applied a malfeasant connotation which forces people with privilege to identify struggling individuals and use them as scapegoats to demonstrate the high levels of poverty in the United States. One of the reasons that could explain the growth and expansion of the informal economy is that it is “driven by the structure of the world economy and processes of economic globalization” (Roberts 2013). Along these lines, transforming its negative and criminalized view into a positive mechanism that helps individuals and families, mostly of color, generate income for the main purpose of survival and making ends meet would be more accepting

    Read More

  • Essay On Ghanaian Americans

    1505 Words  | 7 Pages

    According to the Migration Policy Institute, approximately eighteen percent of Ghanaian-Americans twenty-five and older had a bachelor’s degree as their highest credential. This sets Ghanaian-Americans at a largely similar educational attainment as the general U.S. population. Twelve percent of Ghanaian-Americans had an advanced degree compared to eleven percent of the general U.S. population Research also shows that the Ghanaian-Americans share the same employment rate of 90% with the general United Sates population. Ghanaian-Americans have a median annual household income of about $44,000, lower the U.S. population annual household income of $50,000.

    Read More

  • Sub Saharan Africa Case Study

    399 Words  | 2 Pages

    Introduction Over the next 84 years Sub Saharan Africa is expected to account for 80% of the projected 5.3 billion increase in the global population. Through out this substantial population increase over the next few decades, Western Africa will see a population increase for the working age of 2.1 billion while the global increase will be only 2 billion. As, technology progresses and the standard of care becomes easier and more affordable, Western Africa is seeing declining fertility and mortality rates, resulting 64% of their population being that of the working age. With the rise of Western Africa’s working population, so does their potential for economic growth; when most developed nations face increased aging populations.

    Read More

  • Kingdom Of Ghana Essay

    726 Words  | 3 Pages

    The African Kingdom of ghana is sort of like the other Kingdoms, for example the Kingdom of Mali is just like Ghana because they are both in West African close to the sahara desert and so is the kingdom of songhai that’s one thing they all have thats in common. The African Kingdom of Ghana was a kingdom in Africa from the 6th till the 12th century. The trading activities in Ghana were mostly the sale of gold and Kola nuts. In Ghana they also sold Ivory to cities along the Mediterranean in exchange for salt.

    Read More

  • Social Construction Of The African Child

    1187 Words  | 5 Pages

    Introduction The notion of the "African Child" is a social construction that varies across time and place. Moreover, every child's experience across the world is very individualized based on their own personal experiences. Karen Wells (2009), noted that childhood is a social construction which is composed through a complexity of social frameworks consisting of social, political, cultural, laws, policies, beliefs, economic institutions, and the interaction between both adults and children. The idea of the African Child has changed throughout history, and across time and space. Africa is a very vast continent consisting of fifty-four countries, and a population of approximately 1.16 billion people (Population Pyramid, 2015).

    Read More

  • Child Labour Persuasive Essay

    776 Words  | 4 Pages

    Children under the age of eighteen are working long and dangerous hours for little pay. Throughout the world, businesses are using children for horrid working purposes. Although this is not an issue in the United States, it is still a problem elsewhere. There are many ways child labor can affect children; it can affect a child 's education, it can also affect one’s health. Child laborers work long hours for very little pay.

    Read More

  • Braverman's Deskilling Concept Summary

    1845 Words  | 8 Pages

    Furthermore, this analysis looks at informal employment as to having of lack of job security, access to social benefits and social protection (Pillay,

    Read More

  • The Causes And Effects Of Unemployment In South Africa

    1165 Words  | 5 Pages

    In Heckman and Borjas (1980:247-283) it is stated that, the greater the number of previous spells of unemployment and the longer their duration, the more likely is the event that an individual will again be unemployed at a point in time.   Literature Review Causes and factors contributing to unemployment in South Africa Unemployment is one of the greatest challenges and one of the most pressing socio-economic issues affecting a majority of the population. There are various causes of unemployment in South Africa but according to Rodrik (2008:769-797), the main

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Unemployment

    1034 Words  | 5 Pages

    This data collection should allow this study to acquire an acceptable level of trustworthiness, even when taking into considerations some limitations that may occur.   Section 1: Introduction Introduction Unemployment as an economic problem exists in each countries and it is often a measure of the health of the economy. It is known as waste of scarce economic resources and as a result it decreases the future growth potential of the country’s economy (Riley, 2005). It is essential to understand the factors which causes the unemployment and its relation and impacts to other economic issues. For instance, of the causes are considered the extreme unemployment benefits, excessive minimum wage and hiring cost, too high real wages level, the disparity between the unemployed labour and job offers on the market in terms of skills and many others reasons (Bell, 2000).

    Read More

  • Causes Of Unemployment In Kenya

    1358 Words  | 6 Pages

    Unemployment in Kenya is attributed to a number of factors that include: rapid growth of the population and the labour force, skill mismatch, information problems in the labour market, structural adjustment programs, slow or declining economic growth, and the labour market setup, among others. High population growth rate in Kenya has resulted in a relatively young population and a large population of youth in the population of the working age (Njonjo, 2010). This increase in the youthful population and increasing labour force has led to labour supply outstripping demand. Consequently, unemployment, especially among the youth, has surged. In particular, high population growth has resulted in higher levels of unemployment.

    Read More

  • The Negative Impact Of Unemployment In Youth

    846 Words  | 4 Pages

    There is a risk of loss of talent and skills, since a great amount of university graduates are unable to find a job and put their knowledge and capabilities into producing innovation and contributing to economic growth. Furthermore, having a large share of the young workforce unemployed, not only leads to reduced productivity and gross domestic product (GDP), it also increases the economic costs for the country, since there is a need for more money to be paid out on social grants and less money coming in from taxes. High unemployment rate also pose as a threat to the safety and security of Gauteng province, youth are most likely to resort to other measures such as

    Read More

  • Essay On Unemployment In India

    934 Words  | 4 Pages

    INTRODUCTION Even today, unemployment is one of India’s most crucial socio-economic problems. Unemployment is the phenomenon where a person is not gainfully employed in a productive activity (Sethi and Andrews, 2011). It can be voluntary or involuntary. Voluntary unemployment refers to a person being unemployed by choice and not by compulsion.

    Read More

More about Youth Unemployment In Ghana Essay

Open Document