Ghana Faces Significant Job Losses Due to Rising Heat by 2040, ILO Warns

A recent report by the International Labour Organization (ILO) warns that Ghana could lose the equivalent of 550,000 full-time jobs by 2040 due to rising workplace heat. This projection is part of a wider assessment covering Ghana, Ethiopia, and Senegal, where heat stress could collectively account for approximately 2.46 million full-time equivalent jobs in lost working time by 2040. The report also estimates that the three countries could suffer combined annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) losses of approximately $67 billion by 2040.

The ILO report highlights that agriculture and construction are among the most exposed sectors to workplace heat stress, due to the physically demanding nature of the work and the high number of people employed outdoors. However, the effects extend beyond these industries, affecting manufacturing, transport, trade, and services, as well as workers and businesses in the informal economy. For workers who depend on daily earnings, reduced working hours could also mean lower incomes, particularly when they cannot afford to stop working during the hottest periods of the day.

Ethiopia is expected to record the highest figure, with approximately 1.78 million full-time equivalent jobs affected, followed by Ghana with 550,000, and Senegal with 129,000. The economic impact is also expected to vary across the countries, with Ethiopia facing annual GDP losses of $33.3 billion, Ghana $23.2 billion, and Senegal $10.5 billion. In 2023, Ethiopia recorded more than one million additional full-time equivalent jobs lost to workplace heat stress compared with an average year during the historical reference period.

Ghana recorded the equivalent of more than 345,000 additional full-time jobs lost during the same period, while Senegal experienced nearly 72,000 additional full-time equivalent job losses. Agriculture accounted for around three-quarters of the estimated working-time losses in Ethiopia and approximately two-thirds in Ghana. In Senegal, the impact was particularly concentrated in services and agriculture. The findings indicate that workplace heat stress is already affecting economic activity and employment in the three countries.

Fanfan Rwanyindo Kayirangwa, ILO Regional Director for Africa, emphasized that the findings show that heat stress is no longer just an environmental concern but also an employment, health, and economic issue. She stressed that governments, employers, and workers need to act together, combining stronger occupational safety and health measures with social protection, climate adaptation, and economic planning. Protecting people from heat also means protecting livelihoods, enterprises, and the resilience of national economies.

The ILO studies identify several practical measures that governments and employers can introduce to reduce the impact of rising temperatures on workers. These include adjusting working hours to avoid the hottest periods of the day, introducing appropriate work-and-rest schedules, providing shaded areas, ensuring access to drinking water and cooling facilities, and strengthening workplace heat monitoring. The ILO also recommends improving occupational safety and health standards and educating workers about the symptoms and risks of heat stress.

The studies covering Ethiopia, Ghana, and Senegal form part of a six-country research initiative that also includes Lebanon, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka. The research received funding through the CVF-V20 Joint Multi-Donor Fund and combines climate projections, labor market data, and economic modeling to assess the current and future effects of workplace heat stress on productivity, employment, and national economies. The report's findings highlight the urgent need for collective action to mitigate the impact of rising heat on workers and the economy.

Key points

• Ghana may lose 550,000 jobs due to rising workplace heat by 2040.
• The ILO report estimates that Ghana, Ethiopia, and Senegal could suffer combined annual GDP losses of approximately $67 billion by 2040.
• The report recommends practical measures such as adjusting working hours, providing shaded areas, and improving occupational safety and health standards to reduce the impact of rising temperatures on workers.