World Bank Backs Ghana’s Youth Employment Push, Aims To Create 500,000 Jobs Each Year

The World Bank has unveiled a strategic collaboration aimed at creating 500,000 jobs annually for Ghanaian youth, addressing one of the country’s most urgent economic challenges.

This commitment emerged from high-level discussions between World Bank Managing Director of Operations, Anna Bjerde, and Ghana’s Finance Minister, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, held at the Bank’s headquarters. The talks focused on a comprehensive Growth and Jobs Strategy, which seeks to boost employment, enhance skills development, and support inclusive economic progress.

Ms. Bjerde reaffirmed the World Bank’s dedication to Ghana’s development goals, stating:
“This initiative underscores our shared commitment to unlocking opportunities for young people. We’re proud to support a strategy that not only aims to create jobs but also strengthen the resilience of Ghana’s economy.”

Finance Minister Dr. Forson welcomed the support, emphasizing the need for bold measures to address youth unemployment:
“This marks a significant step in our mission to deliver decent, sustainable jobs for Ghanaian youth. Targeted, innovative solutions are essential to absorb the rising number of job seekers entering the labor market.”

With more than 250,000 young people joining Ghana’s workforce each year amid persistent unemployment, the World Bank-supported initiative could be a game-changer. Its success, however, will depend on effective execution and collaboration between government, private sector, and development stakeholders.

The Finance Ministry confirmed that technical teams from both parties will work in the coming weeks to finalize the strategic framework and implementation roadmap.