APA-Banjul
The Gambian government has announced that it has exceeded the target of 150,000 jobs promised by President Adama Barrow, with more than 163,000 new jobs recorded between 2023 and 2026.
This is according to a national labour market report published on Wednesday entitled “The Gambia Labour Market: Progress and Trends, GLFS 2022-23 (Q1) to GLFS 2026 (Q1)”.
The document was produced by the Gambia Bureau of Statistics (GBoS), in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment, with support from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the World Bank-funded HISWACA project.
According to official data released by the Gambian information ministry, the labour force participation rate rose from 43.6% in 2023 to 54.5% in 2026, while the employment-to-population ratio increased from 40.3% to 51.1%.
Unemployment also fell from 7.6% to 6.2%, while overall underemployment dropped from 31.6% to 23.6%, reflecting, according to the authorities, an improvement in labour market performance and a sustained economic recovery.
The Gambian government attributes these results to the on-going post-pandemic recovery, investment in key sectors, and the structural reforms undertaken in the national economy.
In its statement, the Ministry of Information emphasises that these achievements reinforce President Barrow’s commitment to inclusive growth based on industrialisation, skills development, women’s
economic empowerment, rural development and the strengthening of social protection mechanisms.
