The Labour ministry plans to tap into the gig economy to grow employment opportunities for the youth, Cabinet secretary Florence Bore said on Wednesday.
She said that over the last decade, the gig economy has grown leading to more accessible, competitive and consistent job opportunities creating a potential to reduce unemployment.
Bore who spoke at the launch of the National Online Employment Skills Development Programme said the program is expected to enhance youth’s employability and productivity in the gig economy and has already attracted more than 2,000 young people, including youth with disabilities.
"The gig economy has the potential to reduce unemployment, which disproportionately affects youth," she said.
The CS said the 20–24 and 25–29 age groups continued to record the highest proportion of unemployment.
"In regard to the long-term unemployment rate, which was 3.9 percent, youth aged 20–24 still have the highest rate of long-term unemployment at 13.5 percent," said Bore.
According to the 2022 Tifa survey commissioned by the Ajira Digital Program, there are over 1.9 million people working online today in Kenya.
More than 1,576 young people have acquired jobs from the pilot e-government program through the Judiciary, and over 110,476 young people have been linked to work in the private sector.
The Economic Survey 2023 shows that the age groups between 20-24 years and 25-29 years continue to record the highest proportion of the unemployed at 16.3 per cent and 9.1 per cent, respectively.
Individuals aged 20 to 24 without jobs grew to 580,281, while those between 25 and 29 increased to 351,125, reported.
Labour Principal secretary said that so far the programme has trained and mentored 321,000 youths on the Ajira Digital Curriculum with 33 percent already working online
The Labour ministry is undertaking the National Online Employment Skills Development Programme jointly with Ajira Digital Program, Kenya Private Sector Alliance, eMobilis Technology Training Institute, the Mastercard Foundation, and Konza Technopolis.
