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Employment Challenges in Kenya

African Journal of Economic Review

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Title Employment Challenges in Kenya
 
Creator Omolo, J
 
Subject Employment Challenge, Employment Policy, Kenya
 
Description This paper explores the employment challenge in Kenya. It focused on the past employment creation interventions adopted by the country over time, their outcomes and the status of the country’s employment policy. Kenya’s employment challenge is manifested in terms of a 12.7 per cent open unemployment rate, 21 per cent underemployment and a working poor estimated at 46 per cent of the employed. The employment challenge is heightened by rapid population growth at 3 per cent per annum, a youth bulge of 67 per cent of the adult population, low and un-sustained economic growth, and structural rigidities. The paper establishes that much of the employment creation measures adopted by the government have recognized the role of economic growth in employment. This is despite the low employment yield of the country’s economic growth attributed to sluggish economic growth. To reverse the trend in slow employment growth, Kenya must focus on ensuring high and sustained economic growth. In addition, employment needs to be put at the centre of the country’s macroeconomic policies. Since a large proportion of the Kenyan labour force, even under the best scenario, will remain in the informal sector, the living standards of Kenyans will only brighten if the productivity and employment conditions of informal employment improve. It is envisagedthat improving the productivity of the informal sector with a well balanced mix of economic and social policies will make a remarkable contribution to improve the labour and living conditions of a large number of Kenyans.Key Words: Employment Challenge, Employment Policy, Kenya
 
Publisher Centre for Economics and Community Economic Development
 
Contributor —
 
Date 2015-04-28
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
Peer-reviewed Article
 
Format application/pdf
 
Identifier https://www.ajol.info/index.php/ajer/article/view/116297
 
Source African Journal of Economic Review; Vol 1, No 1 (2013); 18-32
1821-8148
 
Language eng
 
Relation https://www.ajol.info/index.php/ajer/article/view/116297/105835
 
Rights The copyright belongs to: African Journal of Economic Review, Centre for Economics and Community Economic Development, The Open University of Tanzania, P.O.Box 23409, Dar es salaam, Tanzania