Ghana to soon unveil a new era in labour market intelligence with the Ghana Labour Market Information System

GHANA has taken a bold and forward-looking step towards transforming the way labour market data is collected, managed and utilised with the emergence of the Ghana Labour Market Information System (GLMIS).

Dotted strategically across all 16 regions of the country, the GLMIS marks a significant milestone in the government’s quest to modernise employment services, strengthen job matching, and promote inclusive and evidence-based labour market governance.

The GLMIS is a flagship project of the government of Ghana, implemented with funding support from the World Bank, and coordinated under the Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment.

It is designed to respond to the changing dynamics of the labour market by providing a centralised, digital and real-time platform for labour market data, replacing systems that have served the country for decades but are gradually out living its usefulness in a rapidly evolving economy.

It is for this reason that the Minister of Labour, Jobs and Employment, Hon. Dr Rashid Pelpuo, is expected to officially launch the Ghana Labour Market Information System (GLMIS) by the middle of this year to fully operationalise the system.

From manual registers
to a digital future

For many years, data on job seekers and vacancies in Ghana has been collected through a largely manual system operated at the Public Employment Centres (PECs). Job seekers were required to physically visit offices, fill paper forms, and have their details entered into registers. Employers, on the other hand, relied on informal networks or physical submissions to advertise vacancies. While this system played a foundational role in public employment services, it has been characterised by delays, data gaps, limited coverage, and difficulties in analysis and retrieval.

The GLMIS represents a decisive shift from this manual, paper-based approach to a fully electronic data gathering and management system. Once fully operational, the GLMIS will replace the decades-old manual registration system, ushering Ghana into a new era of efficiency, accuracy and responsiveness in labour market administration.

Through the GLMIS, labour market data will be captured digitally at source, stored securely, and analysed to support policy formulation, workforce planning and employment interventions at both national and sub-national levels.

Benefits for job seekers:
Empowerment through
access and support

At the heart of the GLMIS is the Ghanaian job seeker. The system is designed to do more than simply register’s names; it seeks to empower individuals with tools, guidance and opportunities.

Job seekers, who visit GLMIS centres across the regions, are supported by trained officers of the Labour Department, who have undergone specialised training to manage the facilities and provide professional employment services.

These services include:

• Electronic registration and profiling of job seekers, capturing skills, qualifications, experience and career interests.

• Career guidance and counselling sessions, particularly for young people navigating the transition from school to work.

• Curriculum Vitae (CV) and résumé development support, especially for first-time job seekers and young persons who may not yet have prepared professional résumés.

• Secure population of all job seeker data onto the GLMIS platform, ensuring confidentiality and ease of retrieval.

By digitising these processes, job seekers are no longer constrained by bulky files or repeated registrations. Their profiles can be updated, matched to opportunities, and analysed to identify skills gaps and training needs.

A powerful tool for
employers

Employers equally stand to benefit immensely from the GLMIS. For the first time, employers across the country will have access to a national, structured and reliable platform through which they can:

• Post job vacancies electronically, specifying required qualifications, skills, experience and competencies.

• Indicate the caliber and number of staff needed to perform specific responsibilities.

• Access a pool of verified and profiled job seekers, improving the efficiency and quality of recruitment.

• Reduce recruitment costs and time by leveraging data-driven job matching.

This direct interface between employers and job seekers enhances transparency, promotes fairness, and strengthens confidence in the labour market.

State-of-the-art
infrastructure
nationwide

The GLMIS project is not limited to software and data systems. As part of the Government of Ghana and World Bank collaboration, the initiative has delivered state-of-the-art physical infrastructure across the country.

These include:

• Purpose-built and refurbished modern office facilities in all regions.

• Provision of vehicles, including pick-ups and motorbikes, to support outreach, monitoring and service delivery, particularly in hard-to-reach communities.

• Supply of modern office equipment and ICT tools to ensure efficient operations.

Importantly, all GLMIS facilities are disability-friendly by design, reflecting government’s commitment to inclusion and equal opportunity.

Inclusive by design:
Leaving no one behind

A defining feature of the GLMIS is its strong emphasis on accessibility and inclusiveness. All buildings are designed to accommodate persons with disabilities, with features such as ramps and accessible workstations.

Beyond physical access, the system is equipped with disability-friendly technologies. For example, Braille-enabled tools and other assistive devices have been provided to enable visually impaired job seekers to independently populate their information on the system. This ensures that persons with disabilities are not only registered but are actively empowered participants in the labour market.

Supporting policy,
planning and national
development

Beyond individual job matching, the GLMIS is a critical policy and planning instrument. The availability of real-time, disaggregated labour market data will support:

• Evidence-based employment and skills development policies.

• Better targeting of government interventions and programmes.

• Improved monitoring of labour market trends, including unemployment, underemployment and skills demand.

• Stronger collaboration between government, private sector, training institutions and development partners.

In the long term, the GLMIS will contribute significantly to national development by aligning workforce supply with labour market demand.

A transformational step
forward

The rollout of the Ghana Labour Market Information System across all 16 regions underscores government’s resolve to modernise public employment services and respond effectively to the aspirations of Ghana’s workforce and employers. It is a transformational initiative that replaces outdated manual systems with a smart, inclusive and future-ready digital platform.

As the GLMIS becomes fully functional, Ghana stands to gain a labour market that is more transparent, responsive and inclusive—one that truly works for job seekers, employers and the nation as a whole.

The writer is Head,
Public Affairs, Ministry of
Labour, Jobs and
Employment.

BY EYRAM DOTSE KWAMI TOTTIMEH JNR

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