Jobs platform BrighterMonday reveals that Kenya has recorded a 58 percent drop in jobs advertised due to COVID19. Hospitality and travel, and building and architecture industries were most hit with the cessation of movement and gathering restrictions recording a drop of 47 percent and 75 percent respectively.
Kenya first recorded the first COVID19 case on 7 March 2020 and it has been a downward spiral for workers ever since. BrighterMonday estimates that more than 1 million jobs have been lost in Kenya in the last three months.
Many positions in the travel and hospitality sectors were frozen in the first weeks when the virus hit Kenya. Other sectors soon followed with most companies laying off their employees and others sending them on unpaid leave
Emmanuel Mutuma, CEO BrighterMonday Kenya
The massive layoffs witnessed across board have come by because some firms are closing while businesses are downsizing to survive the economic downturn. However, industries in the hospitality and travel industries have faced total shutdowns which have seen staff put on unpaid leave or layoffs.
All is not lost as some industries recorded impressive growth during the lockdown period. In this case, essential services such as healthcare and safety grew at 700 percent, trade and service at 327 percent, agriculture and farming at 170 percent, and quality assurance and control at 113 percent.
Job adverts in the property and real estate grew by 125 percent driven by people disposing of property in an effort to maintain liquidity.
Remote working has gained traction in the period as the biggest gainers were in essential services and industries that can be done remotely.
| Sector | Pre COVID (10 weeks before Mar 16) | Post COVID (10 weeks After Mar 16) | Difference | % Difference |
| Health & Safety | 3 | 24 | 21 | 700.00% |
| Trades & Services | 36 | 154 | 118 | 327.78% |
| Agriculture & Farming | 40 | 108 | 68 | 170.00% |
| Real Estate & Property Management | 16 | 36 | 20 | 125.00% |
| Quality Control & Assurance | 51 | 109 | 58 | 113.73% |
| Engineering | 130 | 275 | 145 | 111.54% |
| Medical & Pharmaceutical | 95 | 185 | 90 | 94.74% |
| Transport & Logistics | 53 | 81 | 28 | 52.83% |
| IT & Software | 254 | 340 | 86 | 33.86% |
| Management & Business Development | 200 | 246 | 46 | 23.00% |
| Research, Teaching & Training | 209 | 256 | 47 | 22.49% |
| Accounting, Auditing & Finance | 423 | 493 | 70 | 16.55% |
| Food Services & Catering | 157 | 182 | 25 | 15.92% |
| Creative & Design | 66 | 69 | 3 | 4.55% |
| Administrative & Office | 222 | 212 | -10 | -4.50% |
| Human Resources | 105 | 100 | -5 | -4.76% |
| Other | 38 | 36 | -2 | -5.26% |
| Marketing & Communications | 298 | 275 | -23 | -7.72% |
| Security | 42 | 38 | -4 | -9.52% |
| Legal Services | 41 | 37 | -4 | -9.76% |
| Sales | 1094 | 947 | -147 | -13.44% |
| Customer Service & Support | 139 | 117 | -22 | -15.83% |
| Supply Chain & Procurement | 167 | 137 | -30 | -17.96% |
| Consulting & Strategy | 39 | 31 | -8 | -20.51% |
| Community & Social Services | 19 | 12 | -7 | -36.84% |
| Project & Product Management | 203 | 127 | -76 | -37.44% |
| Hospitality/Leisure/Travel | 111 | 58 | -53 | -47.75% |
| Building & Architecture | 28 | 7 | -21 | -75.00% |
