By Mohammed Jallow
The recent labour force survey released by the Gambia Bureau of Statistics (GBOS) has placed the national unemployment rate at 8.3 percent, a figure that on the surface appears relatively moderate compared to many African economies. To the untrained eye, it might even suggest that The Gambia’s labour market is healthy and dynamic. Yet, to those who understand the underlying realities of the country’s economic structure, this statistic conceals more than it reveals. Behind the numbers lies a far more complex and unsettling truth about the state of work, productivity, and opportunity in The Gambia.
The 8.3 percent figure is not a badge of progress. It is a statistical illusion that hides the widespread underemployment, disguised joblessness, and fragile livelihoods that define the daily experience of the majority of Gambians. When measured solely by whether individuals are “working,” without deeper analysis of what that work entails, how much it pays, and whether it offers long-term security, such statistics fail to capture the painful reality of a labour market that is both narrow and unequal.
The problem is not merely one of numbers but of national direction. The Gambia’s labour market mirrors the chronic structural weaknesses of its economy: limited industrialisation, dependence on imports, weak private-sector growth, and an education system that remains misaligned with the realities of the modern workplace. The question we must now confront is not whether people are working, but whether their work provides dignity, sustenance, and a future worth aspiring to.
The fallacy of “employment”
It is tempting for policymakers to take solace in a single-digit unemployment rate, interpreting it as a sign of progress. Yet, if one walks through the busy streets of Serekunda, Brikama, or Farafenni, one will quickly discover that the majority of Gambians who are “employed” are engaged in precarious, low-income, informal activities that offer neither stability nor protection. Street vending, motorcycle taxi driving, petty trading, and subsistence farming remain the lifelines for countless youth who are counted as employed but live in economic uncertainty.
In truth, the real challenge in The Gambia is not the absence of work, but the absence of decent work. Employment in the formal sense is supposed to provide individuals with a fair income, job security, social protection, and opportunities for personal development. Yet, a large portion of our workforce operates outside the formal economy, deprived of these basic conditions. This is what economists refer to as “vulnerable employment” and it is rampant.
To celebrate an 8.3 percent unemployment rate is to ignore this fundamental vulnerability. It is to disregard the silent suffering of thousands of educated young Gambians who remain idle or are forced into work far below their qualifications. It is to overlook the thousands more who migrate, legally or otherwise, seeking opportunities abroad because the domestic economy has failed to absorb their energy and ambition.
The youth paradox
The most distressing aspect of The Gambia’s labour crisis is its impact on the youth. The country’s population is overwhelmingly young, with more than sixty percent under the age of thirty-five. This demographic composition should be a blessing, a reservoir of innovation, labour, and creativity capable of driving national transformation. Instead, it has become a ticking time bomb of frustration, disillusionment, and wasted potential.
Youth unemployment in The Gambia, although not explicitly detailed in the GBOS survey summary, remains alarmingly high when disaggregated from the overall figure. Many young people finish school or university only to find that there are no jobs waiting for them. Those who manage to find employment often do so in the informal sector, earning barely enough to survive. The mismatch between the skills taught in educational institutions and the demands of the labour market continues to widen.
Education in The Gambia, while improving in access, remains deficient in relevance. We produce graduates in disciplines that have little connection to the productive sectors of the economy. The result is a generation of educated youth who are theoretically equipped but practically unprepared. Vocational training, technical education, and entrepreneurial support remain grossly underdeveloped. Unless the government and the private sector collaborate to close this gap, the nation will continue to lose its brightest minds to the lure of migration.
The role of government: From statistics to solutions
It is not enough for government agencies to collect and publish data. What matters is how that data informs policy and shapes reform. The GBOS findings should serve as a call to action for the Ministries of Trade, Youth, Education, and Finance to coordinate a national employment strategy grounded in realism, innovation, and inclusivity.
The government must begin by acknowledging that employment creation cannot be achieved through rhetoric. It requires the deliberate expansion of productive sectors capable of absorbing labour. Agriculture, which employs a significant portion of the population, must be transformed from subsistence-based to commercially viable enterprises. The manufacturing sector, long neglected, must be revived through incentives for small and medium enterprises, industrial parks, and domestic value addition. Tourism, traditionally a cornerstone of the Gambian economy, should be integrated with creative industries, technology, and environmental sustainability to generate year-round employment rather than seasonal jobs.
Equally important is the reform of the education and training ecosystem. The Ministry of Higher Education must ensure that curricula are updated to meet contemporary skill demands. Technical and vocational institutions should be adequately funded and modernized, producing technicians, artisans, and innovators who can serve both domestic industries and the regional market. A national apprenticeship scheme, linking young people to employers, could provide the bridge between education and work that is currently missing.
Moreover, the government must establish a robust monitoring framework to track employment quality, not merely quantity. Policies should differentiate between formal and informal employment, between temporary and permanent jobs, and between survivalist activities and productive careers. Only then can we measure progress meaningfully.
The private sector and the promise of partnership
The private sector must not remain a passive observer in this national conversation. Employers, entrepreneurs, and investors are the engines of job creation. However, they can only thrive in an environment of predictability, transparency, and fairness. The Gambian private sector continues to face numerous barriers limited access to credit, high taxation, unreliable electricity supply, and bureaucratic delays. Unless these systemic issues are addressed, the private sector will remain too weak to absorb the growing labour force.
A new social compact is needed, one in which government provides the enabling environment, and the private sector commits to investing in the local workforce. Public-private partnerships should focus on skills development, technology adoption, and innovation hubs that prepare young Gambians for the future of work. Companies should be incentivised to provide internships, apprenticeships, and in-house training programs that nurture local talent.
It is also time to expand the national discourse on entrepreneurship. Too often, young people are told to “be self-employed” without being provided the necessary support, mentorship, or financial tools to succeed. Entrepreneurship should not be romanticised as a substitute for failed employment systems but institutionalised as a structured pathway with adequate training, access to markets, and policy support.
The hidden crisis of underemployment
While unemployment captures public attention, underemployment is the more insidious problem. It refers to situations where individuals are working but not to their full potential—either because their skills exceed the requirements of their jobs, or because they are forced to work part-time when they desire full-time work. This is the invisible burden that plagues many Gambian households.
Teachers moonlight as taxi drivers to make ends meet. Graduates sell phone credit or operate kiosks. Skilled artisans migrate to Europe or the Middle East in search of better pay. These are the stories that statistics fail to tell. They reflect an economy that fails to reward effort proportionately and a system that undervalues talent.
The Gambia cannot achieve sustainable development while its citizens are trapped in low-productivity employment. The state must therefore shift its focus from job creation in absolute numbers to job quality, income security, and career progression.
The role of data and evidence
The GBoS deserves commendation for conducting this survey, but the data must now serve as the foundation for evidence-based policymaking. Future surveys should go beyond measuring unemployment rates to include labour productivity, wage differentials, gender disparities, and the informal sector’s contribution to GDP. The findings should be made easily accessible to policymakers, researchers, and investors who can translate them into action.
Furthermore, The Gambia should strengthen collaboration with international institutions such as the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the African Development Bank to align its labour statistics with global standards. Reliable data is the bedrock of sound governance, and without it, even the best intentions will falter.
Lessons from other nations
Many countries have faced challenges similar to The Gambia’s but have managed to turn them into opportunities. Rwanda, for instance, has invested heavily in technical education and ICT to create a young, tech-savvy workforce. Ghana has integrated entrepreneurship training into its secondary and tertiary education systems. Mauritius has successfully diversified its economy from agriculture to services, manufacturing, and tourism, drastically reducing unemployment and raising living standards.
The Gambia can draw inspiration from these examples but must design its own context-specific solutions. No single model fits all. What matters is political will, policy coherence, and national unity in addressing the challenge.
A call to the executive
The President and his cabinet must treat employment creation as a national emergency, not as a campaign slogan. Every development plan, whether in infrastructure, agriculture, or digitalisation, must be evaluated through the lens of job creation. The National Employment Policy must be fully implemented and regularly reviewed to adapt to changing realities.
Ministers must be held accountable for measurable outcomes. The Ministry of Youth and Sports should not only engage in empowerment rhetoric but establish youth incubation centers across regions. The Ministry of Finance must ensure that employment initiatives are adequately funded. The Ministry of Trade should champion local manufacturing and value addition. Above all, there must be inter-ministerial coordination to prevent duplication of efforts and ensure efficiency.
The way forward
The 8.3 percent unemployment rate should not comfort us. It should alarm us. It should provoke a national awakening about the depth of the crisis beneath the surface. The youth bulge, if harnessed wisely, can become a demographic dividend. If neglected, it will become a social and economic catastrophe.
The time for complacency is over. The Gambia must invest in human capital with urgency and foresight. Every child who graduates from school should have access to pathways that lead to meaningful employment or entrepreneurship. Every worker should have the opportunity to upgrade their skills. Every employer should contribute to building a fair, inclusive, and productive economy.
Conclusion
The story of The Gambia’s labour market cannot be told by numbers alone. It is written in the aspirations of its young people, the resilience of its informal workers, and the commitment of its entrepreneurs who continue to strive against the odds. The GBOS survey provides a mirror—but it is up to the nation’s leaders, institutions, and citizens to interpret the reflection with honesty and courage.
The 8.3 percent figure is not a destination but a signpost. It reminds us that beneath every statistic lies a human story, and behind every policy lies a choice. The Gambia must now choose between illusion and reality, between comfort and courage, between statistics and substance.
Only then can we begin to build an economy that provides not just jobs, but justice; not just work, but worth.
