The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has asked President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to make it a priority in his second term to reduce the growing unemployment rate in the country.

TUC said in a statement signed by Dr. Yaw Baah, Secretary-General of the Union, while congratulating the president following his investiture that the president initiated policies and programmes to deal with the joblessness in the country in his first term.

TUC, the statement added, expects more of such programmes in the second term of the president.

“In the State of the Nation Address, the President mentioned the recruitment of 95,000 health workers into the public health sector, which helped the nation to fight COVID-19. We note the recruitment of additional teachers, security personnel and the implementation of Nations Builders Corps (NABCO) as well as the state-sponsored entrepreneurship development programmes. We expect more of such initiatives to help address the employment crisis facing our youth.

“In the next four years, all efforts towards economic recovery and transformation must focus on job creation. We have to work together as social partners to create more and better jobs for young Ghanaians in both public and private sectors of the economy.

“We can make a huge difference if we work together to remove the numerous constraints in the way of domestic production including corruption, high interest rates, ultra-liberal trade policy, and the deficit in our social and economic infrastructure,” the statement said.

It added “The One-District-One-Factory and the Planting for Food and Jobs, if pursued more vigorously, can strengthen the domestic private sector.

“These initiatives need rapid expansion and support from all social partners. They can make a significant difference in strengthening the industrial base of our economy for job creation, especially in rural communities.”

Regarding unemployment, the statement said “ Insurance As part of efforts towards addressing the devastating impact of COVID19 government, with the support of social partners, started a process towards the establishment of National Unemployment Insurance Scheme (NUIS) and training and retraining programmes. We pledge our commitment to these initiatives. We hope that we can complete the process in the first half of 2021.”