By Haddy Touray
The Gambia Bureau of Statistics (GBoS) has released its 2025 Labour Force Survey, revealing a concerning rise in national unemployment and highlighting persistent structural challenges across the labour market.
According to the survey, the national unemployment rate has climbed to 8.3%, with youth unemployment reaching 11.5%. Informal employment remains the backbone of the economy, accounting for 81% of all jobs, while overall labour underutilization stands at 26.7%.
The report also exposes stark disparities among demographic groups. Young women face disproportionately high unemployment and are more likely to work in informal sectors, while participation among persons with disabilities has dropped sharply, from 32.8% to 20.1%.
Statistician General Nyakassi M.B. Sanyang noted that while the labor force is expanding with participation rising from 43.6% to 47.1%, equivalent to over 56,000 new entrants, structural challenges persist. “Rising youth unemployment, exclusion from the labour force, and widespread informality, particularly among women, young people, and persons with disabilities, remain pressing concerns,” he said.
Sanyang urged policymakers, particularly the Ministry of Employment, to leverage the survey’s findings to design targeted, inclusive, and forward-looking labour policies. “Evidence-based policy is no longer optional; it is essential,” he emphasized.
Representing the World Bank, Senior Economist Morite Meyer highlighted the critical role of labour markets in shaping household income, reducing poverty, and promoting inclusive growth. He expressed hope that the survey would provide a robust evidence base for policy and program development.
Fabba Jammeh, Director of Employment at the Ministry of Employment, acknowledged that while ongoing job creation initiatives are yielding results, benefits are not evenly distributed. He pledged that the ministry would use the survey’s findings to inform interventions targeting youth, informal workers, and vulnerable groups.
This marks GBoS’s second comprehensive labour force survey. Plans are underway to conduct a biannual survey in 2026, followed by quarterly surveys starting in 2027, to strengthen monitoring and guide evidence-based decision-making.
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