Stefanus Nashama
Economists and political figures have expressed concern about the accuracy of the data presented in the Labour Force Thematic Report.
On Wednesday, the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) released a report indicating that the overall unemployment rate is 36.9% for individuals aged 15 and older.
“The unemployment rate stood at 36.9% with a youth unemployment rate of 44.4%. This indicates an increase in the overall unemployment rate of 3.5% from 33.4% in 2018 to 36.9% in 2023,” says the report.
According to the report, this translates to 320 442 unemployed people and 546 805 employed out of a working-age population of 1 876 122.
Economists, politicians, and analysts, however, continue to argue that these figures indicate a significant economic issue for the country.
Economist Josef Sheehama questioned the methodology behind the unemployment figures, citing concerns about data collection, particularly from remote areas.
“Compared to the current state of affairs, can we trust this data? disagreed. How was unemployment defined in surveys, and what questions were asked to guarantee that the data are properly interpreted and used by the government for planning purposes?” he questioned.
He urged greater transparency in how surveys were conducted and whether the data adequately reflected the reality on the ground.
The report was originally scheduled for release in 2024, before the November elections, but was postponed to this year.
Parliamentarian, Inna Hengari criticised the delayed release of the 2023 report, claiming political interference had skewed the numbers.
“We are in 2025, and we’re being forced to digest figures from 2023. This is beyond ridiculous,” she said.
Hengari added youth unemployment remained a critical issue despite any reported improvements.
The Affirmative Repositioning’s (AR) leader, Job Amupanda said the unemployment figures were fabricated.
He accused public institutions of being captured and incapable of producing trustworthy data.
“The fake and doctored figures released show that unemployment is at 36% and youth unemployment has dropped. The actual figures are above 50%. It is clear that public institutions, including universities, are captured and cannot be trusted,” stated Amupanda.
Political analyst, Ndumba Kamwanyah also aired concerns about the youth unemployment rate.
He pointed out that despite the drop from 46% to 44%, the rate is still much higher than the national average.
“Although the 2023 youth unemployment rate dropped down to 44%, from 46% in 2018, it’s important to note that the youth unemployment figure is still above the national unemployment rate of 36.9%,” he stated.
Moses Shikerete, spokesperson for the Swapo Party Youth League, on Wednesday issued a statement expressing concern over a 3.5% rise in unemployment.
“We are generally concerned by the surge in overall unemployment and youth unemployment in particular, which now stand at 36.9% and 61.4% respectively,” he stated.
Shikerete stressed the report highlights the urgent issues the nation faces regarding job creation, particularly for the youth.
Kamwanyah warned that Namibia could be facing a national crisis if solutions were not urgently implemented to address the persistent lack of employment opportunities for young people.
Raun Kotze, manager of Security and Networking at BCX Namibia, stated the statistics on unemployment are discouraging.
“Ignore the statistical findings. Our real unemployment rate is closer to 56%,” he claimed.
Kotze said employed Namibians should be grateful for their jobs and urged them to work hard to assist others.
“Help raise others, whether it’s driving internship programs or sharing opportunities. This is an us problem,” he said.
The Namibia Statistics Agency faced criticism last year because of the postponement of the report’s release to this year.
Despite this criticism, Namibia’s statistician-general, Alex Shimuafeni assured transparency during his presentation on Wednesday.
He explained the delays in the release of certain reports ensure the agency’s commitment to providing accurate data.
“I can be on record to say there is no hidden agenda on the delay to release these reports,” he said.
The report showed a mixed picture, with urban areas experiencing higher youth unemployment at 46.1%, compared to 41.3% in rural areas.
Overall, the country’s youth population of 1 018 529 people is grappling with limited access to jobs, as 252,886 are employed, 202 144 are unemployed, and a staggering 563 499 are completely out of the labour force.
Additionally, the report noted that 41.9% of youth fall into the “Not in Education, Employment, or Training” (NEET) category.
According to the report, Omaheke’s youth unemployment rate is relatively low at 35.5%, while Kavango East faces a much higher rate of 60.4%.
Nationally, more than 60% of youth are either unemployed or part of the potential labour force.
