The 2024 Economic Survey Report, issued on Monday, May 20, highlights that employment opportunities in both the modern and informal sectors increased from 19.1 million in 2022 to 20.0 million in 2023.
The report also indicated that the number of new wage jobs outpaced those in the modern sector.
“Total new jobs generated in the economy were 848.2 thousand in 2023,” the report showed.
“In the year under review, wage employment in the modern sector grew by 4.1 percent, which translated to the creation of 122.8 thousand new jobs in the sector.”
Additionally, the report reveals that the total number of self-employed and unpaid family workers within the modern sector rose from 168,100 in 2022 to 172,400 in 2023.
“The informal sector created 720.9 thousand new jobs and accounted for 85.0 percent of all the new jobs created in 2023,” the report added.
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In the private sector, leading industries in providing wage employment included manufacturing, agriculture (forestry and fishing), wholesale and retail trade, and the repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles.
Wage employment in the public sector increased by 5.9 percent in 2023 compared to the 1.6 percent recorded in 2022.
During the year under review, education recorded the highest growth of 10.9 percent, mainly attributed to the large number of teachers hired by the Teacher’s Service Commission (TSC).
The education sector was followed by human health and social work activities, which registered a growth of 5.1 percent.
Employment in manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles, and electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply declined by 5.6, 3.1, and 1.9 percent, respectively.
“The leading industries with high employment levels in the public sector were education; and public administration and defense; compulsory social security, which accounted for 44.9 percent and 34.6 percent of total employment in the sector, respectively,” the statement added.
The creation of these jobs aligns with President Ruto’s goal of creating 4 million jobs for the youth in Kenya.
The president, during his manifesto in 2021, promised to achieve this by providing cheaper credit for small businesses.