UDP Rejects Government’s 163,000 Jobs Claim, Calls Figures “Misleading” and Detached From Reality

Published by: The Fatu Network

The opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) has rejected the Government’s claim that it created more than 163,000 jobs in The Gambia since 2023, arguing that the figures are being politically misrepresented and do not reflect the country’s economic reality.

The criticism follows recent government statements celebrating findings from the Gambia Bureau of Statistics (GBoS) Labour Market Report, which officials said showed that over 163,000 jobs had been created under President Adama Barrow’s administration.

However, UDP Administrative Secretary for Media and Communications, Saikou Camara, said the Government’s interpretation of the report was “misleading, exaggerated, and detached from the harsh economic realities facing Gambians.”

In a detailed statement, Camara argued that the report itself does not support the conclusion that the Government directly created 163,000 stable jobs.

“The report itself clearly states that the increase of 163,660 employed persons reflects ‘increased labour absorption rather than a direct measure of jobs created.’ These are not the same thing,” Camara stated.

According to him, labour absorption simply reflects the fact that more Gambians are being forced to engage in any form of economic activity to survive worsening economic conditions, rather than evidence of meaningful employment growth.

“The Government is deliberately confusing survival driven economic activity with genuine job creation,” he said.

Camara gave examples of university graduates turning to private tutoring, food vending, or small informal businesses because they cannot secure formal employment, noting that such activities are still classified as “employment” in labour statistics.

The UDP official further pointed to what he described as alarming findings within the same report regarding the nature and quality of employment in the country.

“According to the findings, 85.8% of employed Gambians are trapped in the informal sector,” he stated, arguing that this means most workers lack job security, decent wages, health insurance, and basic worker protections.

He also cited figures showing that self-employment rose from 52.9% to 64.3% over the past three years, saying this reflected growing economic hardship rather than prosperity.

“In simple terms, Gambians are increasingly being pushed into petty trading, street vending, informal transportation, subsistence businesses, and other unstable survival activities because formal employment opportunities are simply unavailable,” Camara said.

The UDP statement also focused heavily on income levels and underemployment, arguing that the report paints a picture of widespread economic vulnerability despite rising employment figures.

“Half of Gambian workers earn GMD 3,000 or less per month,” Camara stated, adding that self-employed workers reportedly earn an average monthly income of GMD 4,609, significantly below earnings in the formal sector.

“This is not economic transformation. This is survival under hardship, or as we say in The Gambia, ‘Rabba Rabba,’” he added.

Camara further argued that labour underutilisation remains high at 23.6%, while many workers are unable to secure sufficient working hours despite technically being classified as employed.

He also described youth unemployment and exclusion as one of the report’s most troubling findings.

“The report confirms that 33.7% of young people between the ages of 15 and 35 are NEET, as in, not in education, employment, or training,” he stated.

“No responsible government can celebrate employment figures while over a third of its youth population remains disconnected from both education and meaningful economic opportunities.”

The UDP concluded by rejecting what it called the Government’s attempt to use the report for “political propaganda,” insisting that the data instead reflects “a distressed survival economy dominated by informality, low incomes, underemployment, and youth exclusion.”

“We at the UDP will continue to advocate for policies that promote industrial growth, private sector expansion, youth empowerment, skills development, agricultural productivity, and genuine economic opportunities for all Gambians,” Camara stated.