Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment.

Kenya’s unemployment rate was 5.57 percent in 2023. This represents a steady decline from the increase after the financial crisis. What is unemployment? The unemployment rate of a country refers to the share of people who want to work but cannot find jobs. This includes workers who have lost jobs and are searching for new ones, workers whose jobs ended due to an economic downturn, and workers for whom there are no jobs because the labor supply in their industry is larger than the number of jobs available. Different statistics suggest which factors contribute to the overall unemployment rate. The Kenyan context The first type, so-called “search unemployment”, is hardest to see in the data. The closest proxy is Kenya’s inflation rate. As workers take new jobs faster, employers are forced to increase wages, leading to higher employment. Jobs lost due to economic downturns, called “cyclical unemployment”, can be seen by decreases in the GDP growth rate, which are not significant in Kenya. Finally, “structural unemployment” refers to workers changing the industry, or even economic sector, in which they are working. In Kenya, more and more workers switch to the services sector. This is often a result of urbanization, but any structural shift in the economy’s composition can lead to this unemployment.

Unemployment Rate in Kenya increased to 5.70 percent in the fourth quarter of 2023 from 4.90 percent in the fourth quarter of 2022. This dataset provides - Kenya Unemployment Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

The youth unemployment rate in Kenya decreased to 12.23 percent compared to the previous year. Nevertheless, the last two years recorded a significantly higher youth unemployment rate than the preceding years.The youth unemployment rate refers to the share of the workforce aged 15 to 24 that is currently not working but is actively searching for work. It does not include the economically inactive population, such as the long-term unemployed or full-time students.Find more key insights for the youth unemployment rate in countries like Somalia and Burundi.

In the fourth quarter of 2022, the unemployment rate in Kenya was higher among young people aged 20-24 years. The second most affected group was composed of Kenyans in the age range of 15 to 19 years. Among these, 10.9 percent were unemployed. In the same period, the overall unemployment rate in Kenya was measured at 4.9 percent.

Key information about Kenya Unemployment Rate

• Kenya Unemployment Rate increased to 2.98% in Dec 2020, from the previously reported figure of 2.60% in Dec 2019.
• Kenya Unemployment Rate is updated yearly, available from Dec 1991 to Dec 2020, with an average rate of 2.86%.
• The data reached an all-time high of 2.98% in Dec 2020 and a record low of 2.60% in Dec 2019.
• The data is reported by reported by CEIC Data.
• In the latest reports, Kenya Population reached 49.40 million people in Dec 2021.

Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) in Kenya was reported at 5.567 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Kenya - Unemployment, total - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

The unemployment rate among young people in Kenya varied in the fourth quarter of 2022, compared to the previous quarter. In the age group between 20 and 24 years, the rate stood at 15.6 percent, up from 14.2 percent in Q3 2022. Among young people aged 15 to 19 years, the unemployment level dropped to 10.9 percent, after reaching the highest level at 22.7 percent in Q3 2022.

Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) in Kenya was reported at 7.55 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Kenya - Unemployment, female - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) (national estimate) in Kenya was reported at 12.42 % in 2021, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Kenya - Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) (national estimate) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

In 2022, the unemployment rate in Kenya decreased from 5.3 percent in the third quarter to 4.9 percent in the fourth quarter. In the second quarter of 2020, unemployment reached its peak at 10.4 percent among the population aged 15-64 years.

Key information about Kenya Labour Force Participation Rate

• Kenya Labour Force Participation Rate dropped to 67.0 % in Dec 2023, compared with 67.2 % in the previous year.
• Kenya Labour Force Participation Rate is updated yearly, available from Dec 1990 to Dec 2023, with an average rate of 72.9 % .
• The data reached the an all-time high of 74.4 % in Dec 2016 and a record low of 67.0 % in Dec 2023.
• Kenya Labour Force Participation Rate is reported by reported by CEIC Data.
• In the latest reports, Kenya Population reached 51.5 million people in Dec 2023.
• Unemployment Rate of Kenya increased to 3.0 % in Dec 2020.
• The country's Monthly Earnings stood at 590.5 USD in Jun 2023.

Kenya: Unemployment rate, percent: The latest value from is percent, unavailable from percent in . In comparison, the world average is 0.00 percent, based on data from countries. Historically, the average for Kenya from to is percent. The minimum value, percent, was reached in while the maximum of percent was recorded in .

Kenya youth unemployment rate for 2023 was 12.23%, a 0.2% decline from 2022.

• Kenya youth unemployment rate for 2022 was 12.43%, a 0.35% increase from 2021.
• Kenya youth unemployment rate for 2021 was 12.08%, a 1.23% decline from 2020.
• Kenya youth unemployment rate for 2020 was 13.31%, a 0.86% increase from 2019.

Tingkat Pengangguran Kenya dilaporkan sebesar 2.98 % pada 2020. Rekor ini naik dibanding sebelumnya yaitu 2.60 % untuk 2019. Data Tingkat Pengangguran Kenya diperbarui tahunan, dengan rata-rata 2.86 % dari 1991 sampai 2020, dengan 30 observasi. Data ini mencapai angka tertinggi sebesar 2.98 % pada 2020 dan rekor terendah sebesar 2.60 % pada 2019. Data Tingkat Pengangguran Kenya tetap berstatus aktif di CEIC dan dilaporkan oleh CEIC Data. Data dikategorikan dalam Kenya Global Database – Table KE.G007: Unemployment Rate.

In 2023, around 20 million people were employed in Kenya, this was an increase of some 900,000 individuals from the previous year. The employees belonged mostly to the informal sector. Roughly 16.7 million worked in informal conditions, whereas close to 3.3 million were employed in the formal sector. The informal sector constitutes an important part of the Kenyan economy, being related to employment creation, production, and income generation. Trends in the informal labor market and economic sectors The largest employment activities for people in the informal sector were in wholesale and retail trade, as well as hotels and restaurants, with 9.32 million people employed in these areas in 2022. Moreover, the hospitality sector in the country was the fastest-growing economic sector with a quarterly growth rate of 21.5 percent of the GDP. However, the largest economic sector as an added value to the GDP was the agricultural sector. Navigating unemployment challenges in Kenya Kenya’s unemployment rate is following a decreasing trend, which dropped below five percent at the end of 2022. However, unemployment among the youth in the same period was fairly high at 13.4 percent. The cohort with the highest level of unemployment was among the age group between 20 to 24 years old, with an unemployment rate of over 15 percent.

In 2021, the male labor force participation rate in Kenya was measured at 75.6 percent. This meant that nearly 77 in every 100 men aged 15-64 years were economically active. Among females, the rate was lower, at 71 percent.

In 2023, Eswatini had the highest unemployment rate in the world, at 37.6 percent. Of the 10 countries with the highest unemployment rates, nine were in Sub-Saharan Africa. What exactly is unemployment? The unemployment rate is the number of people in the workforce currently looking for jobs but not working. This number does not include students and retirees, as they are not looking for work, nor does it include people who have given up on finding a job (known as discouraged workers). Comparing international unemployment rates can be problematic, however, as different countries use different methodologies when classifying unemployment. For example, Niger records the third lowest unemployment rate in the world, despite often being listed as the least developed country worldwide - this is because the majority of the population engage in subsistence farming, with very little opportunity for paid employment. Causes of unemployment in less developed countries A major driver in unemployment in these countries is conflict. In particular, internally displaced persons (IDPs) want to work, but moving to another part of the country disrupts their business network and moves them into a local economy with different labor demand. Countries with low levels of economic development, as roughly indicated by a low GDP per capita, often have fewer labor market opportunities, leading to high unemployment rates.

Unemployment rate, 15-64 years of Kwale rocketed by 148.08% from 5.2 % in 1989 to 12.9 % in 1999. Since the 148.08% surge in 1999, unemployment rate, 15-64 years remained constant by 0.00% in 1999.

8,4 (%) in 1999.