Unemployment on the increase in Birim South

Akim Oda(E/R), Oct. 3, GNA - Unemployment, mostly among the youth is on the increase in the Birim South district with the district recording 4,162 unemployed people in 2002 as against 3,211 recorded in 2001.

Mr Mark Anthony Owusu, the District Labour Officer, in an interview with GNA at Akim oda on Friday said the figure represented an increase of about 29.6 percent. He said the figure was made up of 2,662 males and 1,500 females, adding that 3,158 out of the total number of registered unemployed persons during the period under review were school leavers. Mr Owusu gave the break down of the statistics as: Middle School Leaving Certificate holders, 800, Junior Secondary School leavers, 1,200, persons with GCE "O"levels 402, "A" Levels holders, 94, Commercial/Vocational Schools leavers 30, Polytechnic leavers eight, University graduates three.

He said the lack of industries and the lack of technical/vocational training among other causes accounted for unemployment in the area. Mr Owusu said unemployment adversely affected mobilisation of revenue for development. He expressed worry that some unemployed people engaged in armed robbery, stealing, pick pocketing and prostitution and called on the government to create more jobs to reverse the trend.