The opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) has sharply criticized the Gambian government’s claim that it has created 163,000 jobs since 2023, describing it as exaggerated, detached from reality, and an attempt at political propaganda.
In a statement, UDP Administrative Secretary for Media and Communications Saikou Camara said a careful examination of the Gambia Bureau of Statistics (GBoS) Labor Market Report, which the government relies on, reveals a far grimmer picture of the economy.
“The report itself clearly states that the increase of 163,660 employed persons reflects increased labor absorption rather than a direct measure of jobs created,” Camara noted. He argued that labor absorption means more people have been forced into some form of economic activity to survive, not that the government has generated stable, wage-paying employment.
Camara highlighted everyday examples: university graduates who resort to private tutoring or sell food at trade fairs are classified as “employed” or “self-employed,” even though they lack job security or a decent income. “The Government is deliberately confusing survival-driven economic activity with genuine job creation,” he said.
According to the report, 85.8% of employed Gambians remain trapped in the informal sector, meaning fewer than one in seven workers enjoys formal employment with protections, benefits, or stability. Self-employment surged from 52.9% to 64.3% in three years, driven by petty trading, street vending, and other precarious activities.
Income levels remain dire. Half of Gambian workers earn GMD 3,000 or less per month, while self-employed individuals average just GMD 4,609 per month—less than half the earnings of formal-sector employees. Labor underutilization stands at 23.6%, with workers averaging only 36.6 hours per week, despite needing around 44 hours to maintain an adequate livelihood.
The situation is particularly alarming for young people. The report shows that 33.7% of Gambians aged 15–35 are NEET—not in education, employment, or training.
“This is not an economic transformation. This is survival under hardship, or as we say in The Gambia, ‘Rabba Rabba,’” Camara stated. “A majority of the population has now become ‘managers,’ merely managing to get through each day.”
The UDP official rejected any celebration of the figures, insisting the data points to a distressed economy marked by informality, low incomes, underemployment, and youth exclusion.
“The Gambian people deserve honesty, not statistical manipulation,” he declared. “Real job creation means sustainable, productive, and dignified employment opportunities capable of lifting families out of poverty.”
Camara reaffirmed the UDP’s commitment to policies that promote industrial growth, private-sector expansion, youth empowerment, skills development, and agricultural productivity to deliver genuine economic opportunities.
