Accra: Employment across Ghana's Specified Entities saw a significant uplift in 2025, with 5,104 new jobs created, as highlighted in the State Interests and Governance Authority's (SIGA) 2025 State Ownership Report. According to Ghana Web, the increase represents a 5.45% growth in employment, raising the total workforce to 98,724 employees throughout the year.
State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) were the primary employers, accounting for 48.62% of the workforce, followed by Other State Entities (OSEs) at 39.92%, and Joint Venture Companies (JVCs) at 11.47%. The report also noted a positive trend in female representation within the sector. Women's share of the workforce increased to 30.02% in 2025, up from 29.30% the previous year, with female employment growing by 8.02%, nearly twice the rate of male employment, which saw a 4.39% increase.
The employment surge follows the implementation of several government initiatives aimed at enhancing economic activity and service delivery. SIGA emphasized that the government's 24-Hour Economy Policy had started to materialize across various Specified Entities. These included a round-the-clock customer call center at TDC Company Ltd, three-shift operations at Ghana Publishing, extended production at GIHOC Distilleries, and expanded services at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA).
Additionally, the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) introduced continuous online services and environmental monitoring, while AESL facilitated the development of 24-hour markets across 33 Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies. SIGA intends to integrate these initiatives into future performance contracts and monitoring frameworks.
Beyond employment, SIGA reported that 42 of the 162 Specified Entities, or 25.9%, disclosed climate-related projects, programs, or initiatives in 2025, up from 27 entities in 2024. These developments underscore a growing focus on climate and gender considerations within the state-owned sector, though SIGA acknowledged that progress remains inconsistent.
The Authority called for a transition from short-term recovery to sustainable performance, stating that Specified Entities must evolve "from recovery to resilience, from compliance to performance, and from state ownership to sustainable value creation."