Less than three percent of jobs at ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) are held by Kenyans aged below 25, a report by the Public Service Commission shows, citing concerns about low pay and lack of flexi-time and underlining difficulties in retaining young talent.
The age group, popularly known as Generation-Z (Gen-Zs) held a paltry 1,730 positions out of the 74,877 civil service jobs across the MDAs, while 41,689 jobs are held by Kenyans aged over 41.
Kenya has for years been struggling to create jobs for university and college graduates with the unemployment crisis fueling public outrage.
The disclosures, contained in a workforce review by the PSC highlight the lack of incentives such as career growth opportunities at the MDAs and remuneration as major causes of low retention of young talent.
“There is a moderate challenge in retention of employees under Generation-Z who usually join the service at the entry level,” PSC says. “This (low retention) could be attributed to the perception of low remuneration and unfavourable conditions of service, especially in view of global embracing of flexible-work arrangements and technology and lack of clarity in career advancement” it adds.
The age group between 20-24 years is the worst hit by Kenya’s ticking unemployment time bomb, with a growing number of them increasingly looking abroad, mainly in the Middle East, for employment.
Young Kenyans are keen to work for flexible hours with a majority finding it tough to work in the 8am to 5pm office environment.
Majority of the university and college graduates are opting for casual jobs and online tasks in the face of the thinning job opportunities at the government offices and private sector.
Treasury’s decision to freeze fresh recruitment at the government offices has further cut the chances of young Kenyans securing jobs in the MDAs and other public offices.
The private sector has also gone slow on hirings amid tough economic times marked by increased operational costs, stiff competition, and near-stagnant sales.
Frustration in securing jobs and a rising cost of living has fueled public anger with Gen-Zs currently at the forefront of anti-government protests that have rocked the country since this month, driven by the Finance Bill, 2024 which has since been withdrawn.
The PSC data shows that Kenyans aged between 36 to 40 years account for the highest chunk of the jobs at 16.21 percent or 12,136 slots followed by those in the bracket of 41 – 45 years at 15.49 (11,595).
More than one-quarter of the jobs or 19,257 positions are held by Kenyans aged over 51 years, presenting a mass exodus in the next 10 years which will add to the government’s pension burden besides raising questions on skill transfer.
