Ghanaian workers in the informal sector are facing a cost-of-living crisis, as highlighted in a recent report by Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing (WIEGO).
According to the report, the average monthly wage in Ghana is GH¢2,922, but workers in the informal sector earn much less.
For example, head porters, known as Kayayeis, earn as little as GH¢500 per month. The report also looked at the earnings of street vendors, waste pickers, and market traders, with market traders earning the highest at GH¢2,200 per month.
Despite efforts by the government to address the cost-of-living crisis, such as a 15 per cent Cost-of-Living Allowance for public sector workers in mid-2022 and a 10 per cent increase to the minimum wage in January 2023, these measures have not been sufficient to alleviate the financial strain on workers in the informal sector.
The report stressed that high inflation has made it difficult for workers in the informal sector to make ends meet, with many of them being the primary earners in their households. It called for more targeted interventions to support these vulnerable workers who are not covered by the existing measures.
