We’ll regularise production of quarterly employment and unemployment data – Govt Statistician

• Posted on May 5, 2025May 5, 2025
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

The Government Statistician,  Dr. Alhassan Iddrisu, has announced plans to regularise the production of quarterly employment and unemployment data.

This is to better track labour market trends and job creation under government flagship programmes, and youth unemployment rates, he said.

“With the enduring support of the President, the Honourable Finance Minister, our development partners, and the good people of Ghana, I am committed to working with the exceptional team at GSS to position our Service as a world-class institution and a trusted pillar in Ghana’s development journey,” Dr. Iddrisu affirmed.

He also pledged to produce inflation data on a rural-urban basis to capture price dynamics across different parts of the country.

On economic data, Dr. Iddrisu announced plans to rebase Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) every five years, a significant improvement on the current ten-year cycle, and begin producing regional GDP figures to inform local policy decisions. Additionally, he hinted at the introduction of Monthly Indicators of Economic Growth (MIEG) to complement the Bank of Ghana’s Composite Index of Economic Activities (CIEA).

He further stated that in line with President John Dramani Mahama’s vision to reset Ghana and collectively build the “Ghana We Want”, the Ghana Statistical Service stands ready to be the bedrock upon which policy decisions are anchored.

Dr Alhassan Iddrisu stated that the GSS is, under his leadership, is committed to delivering credible, timely, and relevant data to support the macroeconomic stabilisation programme and the socio-economic development agenda, including flagship initiatives such as the 24-Hour Economy Policy, Agriculture for Transformation Agenda, Adwumawura Programme, National Apprenticeship Programme, the National Coders Programme and anti-corruption drive.

Beyond this, he said, “we will actively anticipate and respond to the emerging data needs of a dynamic economy and ambitious, forward-looking people.”

“Guided by the Statistical Service Act, 2019 (Act 1003), national priorities, and global best practices, I envision a modern, world-class, technology-driven, agile, and trusted Statistical Service,” he said during his swearing-in ceremony by President John Dramani Mahama on Friday, May 2.

Dr. Iddrisu outlined a bold vision for the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), committing to build a modern, technology-driven, agile, and trusted institution capable of producing credible, timely, and relevant data to support Ghana’s macroeconomic stabilisation programme and socio-economic development initiatives.

Key among his priorities is the fast-tracking of the rebasing of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to improve the quality of inflation data and extending CPI reporting to the district level to support government’s decentralisation agenda.