The Centre for Policy Scrutiny (CPS) has declared that the Ghanaian government's flagship employment programs lack published evidence of actual job creation. This assessment comes despite significant implementation progress reported for major initiatives.
The think tank's review of the 2026 Mid-Year Budget highlights a critical gap. Official reporting prioritizes project mobilization and participant enrolment over verified employment outcomes. This raises questions about the true impact of these programs on Ghana's persistent unemployment challenges.
This finding fits into Ghana's broader economic narrative, where job creation remains a key government promise and a major public concern. High youth unemployment rates continue to pressure policymakers to demonstrate tangible results from economic development strategies. Previous administrations have also faced scrutiny over the effectiveness of job creation schemes.
Dr. Adu Owusu Sarkodie, Executive Director of the CPS, stated that the government must move beyond announcing allocations and project milestones. He emphasized the need for concrete evidence of jobs created. The CPS review assessed three key employment channels: the Big Push road program, the 24-Hour Economy, and skills development initiatives.
The implications are significant for public trust and economic planning. Without verifiable job creation data, it becomes difficult to assess the return on investment for these large-scale government programs. Decision-makers will face increased pressure to provide transparent reporting on employment figures, potentially influencing future budget allocations and policy adjustments.
The CPS report noted that implementation has advanced more strongly in project mobilisation and financial releases than in publishing verified employment outcomes. For example, the government's estimate of 490,000 jobs from the Big Push program remains a projection. The Mid-Year Budget Review does not disclose payroll employment or project-level employment records.
Work has commenced on 87 projects under the Big Push, with 28 projects exceeding 25% completion. However, the report suggests this program is currently generating substantial construction activity, not conclusively creating hundreds of thousands of jobs. Similarly, the projected 30,000 jobs from the Accra-Kumasi Expressway are prospective, as the project is still in early stages.
The review also questioned employment claims related to the 24-Hour Economy initiative. The Mid-Year Budget reported 326 entities adopting multi-shift operations. However, the government has not published baseline or post-implementation employment figures. Businesses can extend hours using existing staff or temporary workers, meaning shift adoption alone does not prove new employment.
Furthermore, plans for three garment factories, expected to create 27,000 direct jobs, are still at the transaction advisory stage. There is no reported evidence of construction, recruitment, or payroll employment. The report also found insufficient information to verify the employment impact of seven planned agro-processing plants.
Regarding skills development, the National Apprenticeship Programme has enrolled 4,350 young people, with GHS 45 million disbursed by mid-year. Dr. Sarkodie cautioned that enrolment alone should not equate to employment success. The Mid-Year Budget lacked data on program completion, job placement, or earnings, making it hard to assess sustainable employment outcomes.
The CPS concluded that government reporting measures program participation and implementation, not actual labour market outcomes. Industrial job promises remain largely prospective. The strongest evidence relates to physical infrastructure implementation under the Big Push, rather than direct job creation.