What Is the Claim?
I investigated the claim that over one million Ghanaians found employment between the first quarter (Q1) and third quarter (Q3) of 2025.
This statement was made by John Mahama during the 2026 State of the Nation Address. He said that Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) data shows more than 1 million people got jobs in that period.
What the Official Data Shows
I checked the Quarterly Labour Force Survey published by the Ghana Statistical Service.
The data reveals:
- In Q4 2024, total employment was about 12.73 million.
- In Q1 2025, total employment rose to 13.09 million.
- In Q2 2025, employment increased to 13.44 million.
- In Q3 2025, it slightly fell to 13.42 million.
The official numbers do show growth in two quarters and a small drop in the third.
Why the Claim May Have Been Misleading
I found that some government representatives defended the one-million figure by looking at average employment levels, not the actual change.
They argued that:
- The average employment level in 2024 was roughly 12.29 million.
- The average for Q1-Q3 2025 was about 13.3 million.
Based on those averages, the difference appears close to 1.01 million.
However, comparing averages does not measure how many people actually got jobs in that period. Averages can be influenced by seasonal or structural changes and do not represent net job creation.
The proper measure of job growth is the difference in headcounts quarter-to-quarter, not averaged employment figures.
I reviewed a detailed report from JoyNews Research, which clearly states:
- The official data does not support the claim that over one million people found jobs from Q1 to Q3 2025.
- The correct net increase is around 690,000.
This confirms that the claim of “over one million people found employment” in that period is false or misleading because it is not backed by the official quarterly employment count.
Final Verdict
Conclusion: False / Misleading
Based on official employment statistics from the Ghana Statistical Service and verified fact-checked reporting:
- The actual net job increase between Q1 and Q3 2025 was significantly less than one million.
- Using average employment figures to imply job creation is misleading.
- Therefore, the claim that over one million people found employment in that period is not accurate.