Ghana’s government is preparing to launch a domestic care Economy programme next year, with Youth Development Minister George Opare-Addo projecting that the initiative will create approximately 100,000 jobs as part of a broader strategy to tackle persistent youth unemployment.
The announcement comes as Ghana continues to experience rapid growth in its youth population. While recent data from the Ghana Statistical Service indicates an overall decline in the national unemployment rate, youth unemployment has seen a slight uptick. Mr Opare-Addo attributed this trend to a pronounced “youth bulge” — a demographic reality where a large share of the population is young and entering the labour market simultaneously.
“When the Ghana Statistical Service put out their figures, you see that unemployment has generally come down, and it means that our policies are working,” the minister said. “But you will also see that there is a small increase in youth unemployment, and the reason is that the youth bulge is big and that is where our population is growing.”
The planned care economy programme aims to address this gap by creating employment opportunities while responding to growing demand for domestic and care-related services. Mr Opare-Addo explained that the initiative would form part of a wider package of youth-focused interventions intended to create sustainable livelihoods and reduce pressure on the formal job market.
The government has signalled its intention to continue rolling out targeted employment programmes to ensure that Ghana’s expanding youth population becomes an economic asset rather than a source of increasing unemployment pressure. The care economy model — which formalises and professionalises caregiving, childcare, elder care, and domestic work — has gained traction globally as a vehicle for job creation, particularly for women and young people.
As Ghana moves to implement the programme, its progress will be watched closely by policymakers across the continent facing similar demographic pressures and labour market challenges.