Why Ghana's growth isn't creating enough jobs – Nii Moi Thompson explains

The Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Nii Moi Thompson, has asserted that the country is shifting toward a more comprehensive framework that places employment and wages at the centre of economic policy.

According to him, the country’s reliance on GDP as the primary measure of economic performance is being reconsidered, as concerns grow over the country’s inability to translate economic growth into meaningful job creation.

Speaking on Point of View on ChannelOne TV on April 29, 2026, Thompson explained that Ghana’s current growth model has been too narrow.

“We are trying to reconceptualise economic growth away from merely reciting figures about GDP, which is one-dimensional, to a three-dimensional measurement, ie GDP, employment creation, and wage growth,” he said.

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He also stated that these three elements; output growth, employment growth, and wage growth; must work together before economic progress can be considered meaningful.

“GDP by itself means nothing to the ordinary Ghanaian unless there are employment opportunities with it,” he added.

Thompson pointed to past instances where sectors such as industry recorded positive growth figures but failed to generate jobs.

“We’ve had situations where industrial growth was positive, but employment creation in the industrial sector was negative. We don’t want that kind of growth; it doesn’t make sense,” he said.

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To address this disconnect, Thompson indicated that the NDPC is promoting policies that encourage the use of local materials and stronger linkages within the economy to ensure that growth leads to job creation.

A major part of this new strategy is building technical expertise.

Thompson revealed that the country will begin training a new group of labour economists; an initiative he described as unprecedented.

“The first batch is 14,” he said, noting that even the Ministry of Labour has lacked dedicated labour economists for years.

He added that the training programme will include participants from the Bank of Ghana, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Agribusiness; the Ghana Statistical Service, the NDPC, and selected metropolitan assemblies.

The goal, Thompson explained, is to embed employment considerations into monetary, fiscal, and sectoral policies, ensuring that job creation becomes a central pillar of Ghana’s development strategy.

As the country adopts this “3D” model of growth, policymakers hope it will lead to more inclusive economic outcomes, where rising output is matched by expanding job opportunities and improved wages.”

VPO/AE

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