Kenya’s economy created 782,300 new jobs in 2024, with most of the employment growth coming from the informal sector, the 2025 Economic Survey has revealed.
Employment in both the modern and informal sectors — excluding small-scale agriculture — increased from 20 million in 2023 to 20.8 million in 2024.
Out of the new jobs created, the informal sector contributed the largest share with 703,700 jobs, representing 90 per cent of the total. However, this was a slight drop compared to 720,900 new jobs created in the sector in 2023.
The modern sector added 78,600 jobs in 2024, marking a 2.4 per cent increase in employment.
Wage employment in the private sector grew by 2.1 per cent in 2024, down from 3.3 per cent in 2023.
“The leading industries in the private sector in 2024 providing the highest employment numbers were Manufacturing; and Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing, accounting for 15.9 per cent and 14.1 per cent, respectively,” the survey reads.
In the public sector, wage employment rose by 3.1 per cent, a slower pace compared to the 5.9 per cent growth recorded in 2023.
Education remained the biggest employer, accounting for 45.2 per cent of all public jobs, followed by Public Administration and Defence and Compulsory Social Security, which made up 34.4 per cent.
The country’s total wage bill increased by 7.2 per cent to Sh2.99 trillion in 2024. The private sector accounted for the largest portion at Sh2.12 trillion — a 7.7 per cent growth — while the public sector wage bill rose by 5.8 per cent to Sh881.4 billion, making up 29.4 per cent of the total.
Average annual earnings also went up, from Sh894,200 in 2023 to Sh933,100 in 2024. However, when adjusted for inflation, real average annual earnings slightly dropped to Sh665,400 in 2024, down from Sh667,300 the previous year.
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