Information Ministry’s Job Creation Claim Conflicts With Official Labor Data

By Makutu Manneh

A recent claim by the Ministry of Information, Media, and Broadcasting Services that more than 163,000 jobs have been created in The Gambia appears to misrepresent findings from the country’s latest labor market report.

In a press release issued on May 13, the ministry asserted that the figure reflected new jobs generated under President Adama Barrow’s administration, framing it as evidence that the government is on course to meet its pledge of creating 150,000 jobs.

However, the Gambia Bureau of Statistics (GBoS), in its report titled “The Gambia Labour Market: Progress and Trends, GLFS 2022–23 (Q1) to GLFS 2026 (Q1)”, presents a more nuanced interpretation of the data.

According to the report, employment increased by 163,660 people over the period, while the labor force grew by 165,938. GBoS emphasizes that this reflects a rise in labor force participation rather than a direct measure of jobs created.

“This reflects increased labor absorption, rather than a direct measure of jobs created,” the report states, explaining that labor absorption captures the extent to which the economy provides employment to those entering the workforce.

Despite this distinction, the ministry’s statement characterized the figure as “the creation of over 163,000 jobs” and described it as “a significant milestone” tied to the president’s employment target.

“PRESIDENT BARROW ON TRACK AS GAMBIA RECORDS 163,000 NEW JOBS AGAINST 150,000 PLEDGE,” the statement reads.

The GBoS data does show improvements in several labor market indicators. Labor force participation rose from 43.6 percent to 54.5 percent, while the employment-to-population ratio increased from 40.3 percent to 51.1 percent. The unemployment rate declined from 7.6 percent to 6.2 percent, and labor underutilization dropped from 31.6 percent to 23.6 percent.

Yet the report also highlights structural challenges within the labor market. Employment growth has been driven largely by self-employment, suggesting limited expansion in formal wage jobs.

Self-employment rose significantly, from 52.9 percent to 64.3 percent of total employment, while the share of wage employees increased only marginally, from 34.6 percent to 35.7 percent. Time-related underemployment fell from 14.4 percent to 11.1 percent, and the proportion of discouraged job seekers declined from 6.7 percent to 5.4 percent.

The divergence between the ministry’s interpretation and the statistical agency’s explanation underscores ongoing concerns about how employment data is communicated to the public, particularly in relation to government policy commitments.