Labour Market Outcomes And Subjective Wellbeing Of University Graduates In Ghana

Economic development in many African countries is characterised with fundamental and structural problems that marginalise the youth and unable to absorb them into the labour market. Youth unemployment has been, and still remains, a pervasive challenge in Ghana, particularly in the light of structural weaknesses and economic challenges. Yearly, universities churn out large numbers of graduates with few opportunities to absorb them into the labour market. The limited opportunities for a sizeable number of the graduates to gain access to employment has impacted negatively on their wellbeing. Long periods of unemployment can cause economic risk at the individual level through loss of earnings and subsequently reduced consumption. Despite the challenges faced by the graduates in obtaining access to the labour market, few studies have examined their labour market outcomes. Ghana lacks reliable data on graduate labour market outcomes especially segmentation and sectoral choice of youth and the linkages between programmes of study, employment aspirations and prospects as well as the transition from university to work. Very little is known about where the majority of university graduates end up in the labour market. There is, therefore, a knowledge gap on the labour market outcomes and the factors determining graduates’ entry into the labour market. Using quantitative analytical techniques, this study specifically investigates the determinants of employment, unemployment duration and its implications on subjective wellbeing of university graduates in Ghana. The study conducted a tracer study on 1,470 university graduates using Computer Assisted Telephone Interviews (CATI) to collect data.