Job opportunities reduce by half due to Covid-19

Since the first case of Covid-19 was reported on March 13, 2020, advertised job opportunities have reduced by half.

Data from BrighterMonday shows that jobs listings since March have reduced by 58 per cent.

Job opportunities have dwindled as a result of the downsizing by many companies whose businesses have been shaken by Covid-19. This has rendered about one million Kenyans jobless.

“The Covid-19 has hit the employment sector hard across the world with job losses being recorded in millions. The Kenyan job market has not been spared by the scourge. There has been a drop in the number of jobs advertised on BrighterMonday and other job aggregators as Covid-19 took hold and lockdown measures were implemented,” BrighterMonday Kenya CEO Emmanuel Mutuma told Citizen Digital.

The fortunes have been worse for those in the hospitality and travel, building and architecture industries which have dropped by 47 and 45 per cent respectively. This is a result of the Covid-19 precautionary measures such as cessation of movement and a ban on public gatherings.

Opportunities in the consulting services, social services and project management have also significantly reduced.

However, opportunities for those in the essential services sector have been on the rise. For example those in the healthcare and safety sector have risen by 700 per cent, trade by 327 per cent and farming by 170 per cent. Job listings in the real estate industry have also shot up by 125 per cent.

The number of job opportunities in the human resource, legal, creative, marketing and communication sectors have not changed.