The number of jobless Kenyans has increased to 2.97 million, according to data released by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS). This represents a 0.6% increase from the previous quarter, and a 1.7% increase from the same period last year. The data also shows that the overall unemployment rate in Kenya rose to 7.4% in the fourth quarter of 2022, up from 7.1% in the third quarter of the same year.
The increase in unemployment has been attributed to several factors, including the recent general elections, and the slow pace of economic recovery. The hospitality and tourism sectors were among the hardest hit, with many businesses forced to close or reduce their operations due to the pandemic in 2019 and political uncertainty over the 2022 August elections.
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Despite the increase in unemployment, there were some positive signs in the data. The number of people in employment increased by 76,000 from the previous quarter, while the labor force participation rate remained stable at 60.5%. In addition, the informal sector continued to absorb a significant proportion of the workforce, with 83.5% of working Kenyans employed in this sector.
The Kenyan government has implemented various measures to address the unemployment crisis, including a youth empowerment program and initiatives to support small and medium-sized enterprises. However, more needs to be done to address the structural issues that contribute to high unemployment rates, such as inadequate education and training, limited access to capital, and a lack of economic diversification.
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