A job interview. Kenyan job seekers are highly educated but not multi-skilled. FILE PHOTO | NMG
Summary
- Kenyan-based online search website BrighterMonday recorded a 17 per cent drop in new job advertisements in August and another 29 per cent dip in October. During the March 2013 General Election, the site recorded a 7.2 per cent drop in job postings.
- The site recorded 1,531 job postings in August from 1,857 in July. The repeat presidential poll in October saw job postings decline further to 1,190.
Jobseekers in the country suffered the most during the
protracted electioneering period as companies sharply cut back on
hiring.
Kenyan-based online search website BrighterMonday recorded a 17 per cent drop in new job advertisements in August and another 29 per cent dip in October. During the March 2013 General Election, the site recorded a 7.2 per cent drop in job postings.
Kenyan-based online search website BrighterMonday recorded a 17 per cent drop in new job advertisements in August and another 29 per cent dip in October. During the March 2013 General Election, the site recorded a 7.2 per cent drop in job postings.
The site
recorded 1,531 job postings in August from 1,857 in July. The repeat
presidential poll in October saw job postings decline further to 1,190.
The
Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) does not publish
unemployment figures, making it difficult to track the extent of
joblessness in the country. BrighterMonday chief executive Emmanuel
Mutuma Monday said data from the portal showed that the period had been
the toughest for job seekers this year.
“There was a
drastic 17 per cent drop in job opportunities during the august polls as
compared to an average of the three previous months. There was an
immediate recovery in September with a 10 per cent increase in
opportunities followed by another sharp 29 per cent drop in October when
Kenya was conducting its repeat poll,” he said.
BrighterMonday’s main competitors in the industry include Linkedin, Best Jobs Kenya and New Jobs Kenya.
According
to a job market survey by BrighterMonday and Trends & Insights for
Africa (TIFA) Research, the past one year has been difficult for job
seekers and employers in Kenya.
The survey showed that
those actively looking for jobs fall into three categories: unemployed
(53 per cent), employed but looking to exit current job (41 per cent)
and the self-employed (six per cent).
The report shows 80 per cent of employed job seekers intend to
leave their current jobs within the next one year either due to personal
or professional reasons.
This
was blamed for the 27 per cent employee engagement index — meaning that
though employed, the lot are not enthusiastic about their work.
TIFA
chief executive Maggie Ireri noted that the challenge with Kenyan job
seekers is that they are highly educated but not multi-skilled.
“It
is becoming critical for Kenyan job seekers to become trained and
competent in multiple skill-sets which may or may not be part of their
actual job description,” she said.
The online survey conducted in September sampled 1,078 respondents who fall within the 18 to 34 years age bracket.
The online survey conducted in September sampled 1,078 respondents who fall within the 18 to 34 years age bracket.
Mr
Mutuma said the end of political campaigns has signified a more stable
job market environment as evidenced by a 52 per cent increase in job
postings in November.
The country’s unemployment crisis
grew worse this year because of layoffs in the banking, manufacturing,
insurance, IT and media industries.
The Federation of Kenya Employers noted that several factors ganged up to make it hard for companies to retain staff.
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