This table provides metadata for the actual indicator available from Ghana statistics closest to the corresponding global SDG indicator. Please note that even when the global SDG indicator is fully available from Ghana statistics, this table should be consulted for information on national methodology and other Ghana-specific metadata information.
| Goal |
Goal 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all |
|---|---|
| Target |
Target 8.3: Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities,decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, including through access to financial services. |
| Indicator |
Indicator 8.3.1 : Proportion of informal employment in total employment by sector and sex. |
| Related indicators |
1.1.1 1.3.1 8.5.2 |
| Definition and concepts |
Definition: The indicator presents the share of employment which is classified as informal employment in the total economy, and separately in agriculture and in non-agriculture. Concept: Employment comprises all persons of working age who, during a short reference period (one week), were engaged in any activity to produce goods or provide services for pay or profit. Informal employment comprises persons who in their main or secondary jobs were in one of the following categories: - Own-account workers, employers and members of producers’ cooperatives employed in their own informal sector enterprises (the characteristics of the enterprise determine the informal nature of their jobs); - Own-account workers engaged in the production of goods exclusively for own final use by their household (e.g. subsistence farming); - Contributing family workers, regardless of whether they work in formal or informal sector enterprises (they usually do not have explicit, written contracts of employment, and are not subject to labour legislation, social security regulations, collective agreements, etc., which determines the informal nature of their jobs). For the purpose of classifying persons into formal or informal employment for this indicator, only the characteristics of the main job are considered. |
| Unit of measure |
Percentage (%) |
| Data sources |
Ghana Population and Housing Census, 2021 |
| Data providers |
Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) |
| Rationale |
In contexts where social protection coverage is limited, social security benefits (such as unemployment insurance) are insufficient or even in-existent, and/or where wages and pensions are low, individuals may have to take up informal employment to ensure their livelihood. In these situations, indicators such as the unemployment rate would provide a very incomplete picture of the labour market situation, overlooking major deficits in the quality of employment. Statistics on informality are key to assessing the quality of employment in an economy and are relevant to developing and developed countries alike. |
| Data availability and disaggregation |
This data is disaggregated by sex, rural and urban areas. |
| References and Documentation |
https://ilostat.ilo.org/resources/concepts-and-definitions/description-labour-force-statistics/ |
| Metadata last updated | Jul 21, 2023 |