24-Hour Economy: Nearly 50% of Ghanaians willing to take on shift-based jobs – GSS

A strong interest among Ghanaians in working in a 24-hour economy has been revealed, with nearly half of workers not currently engaged in shift-based employment expressing willingness to work night shifts or flexible schedules.

The 2025 quarterly labour statistics, released by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) on Thursday, December 18, in Accra, showed that while about 98 percent of workers were not working night shifts, 47 percent were open to doing so.

The willingness to work night shifts was particularly high among men (54 percent) and rural workers (52 percent), compared to 45.4 percent of women and 44.1 percent of urban workers, who expressed less interest in night or shift work.

Data from quarters two and three of 2025 indicated that 435,614 Ghanaians were willing to work regularly on night shifts, while 227,278 were interested in occasional night work.

The findings align with the government’s ongoing US$4 billion flagship 24-Hour Economy initiative, designed to create jobs, boost productivity, and position Ghana as a competitive economy operating around the clock.

Dr. Alhassan Iddrisu, Government Statistician, presenting the quarter three labour statistics, said the results provided strong evidence supporting the feasibility of the 24-Hour Economy programme.

“This signals potential for the 24-Hour Economy if the right protections and incentives are provided. The government should ensure an environment where people are ready to work, and standards are maintained,” Dr. Iddrisu said.

He recommended the development of clear standards for shift-based and flexible work arrangements to ensure worker safety, fair compensation, and income stability as interest in such work grows.

Dr. Iddrisu also encouraged the private sector to expand operations and build a shift-based workforce with high-quality standards. He urged individuals to invest in skills development and lifelong learning, especially in growing sectors such as services, digital activities, and modern agriculture.

On unemployment, the GSS reported an overall rate of 12.8 percent across the first three quarters of 2025, with female unemployment consistently higher than male unemployment. Urban unemployment averaged 15.1 percent, compared to 9.6 percent in rural areas. The largest urban-rural gap of 6.2 percentage points occurred in the second quarter, highlighting intense competition for limited formal employment opportunities in cities.

Policy recommendations from the GSS included expanding Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes, digital skills training, apprenticeships, and facilitating school-to-work transitions. The agency also called for investment in training, apprenticeships, internships, and the use of data-driven workforce planning to guide hiring, training, and investment decisions.