Kenya to boost labor emigration to reduce unemployment levels
Kenya plans to boost labor emigration in order to reduce the country's unemployment levels, a senior government official said Friday.
Approximately 1.2 million Kenyans join the labor market annually while the economy only absorbs 800,000 into both formal and informal sectors. Simon Chelugui, the cabinet secretary at the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, said during the launch of the government trade test that the country has already signed bilateral labor agreements with seven countries in order to boost exports of the country's excess workforce.
According to the ministry of labor, the east African nation will prioritize the emigration of skilled laborers over unskilled workers in order to boost their earnings potential and working conditions of the Kenyans. Chelugui observed that remittances from Kenyans working abroad are a major source of foreign exchange earnings for the country. He added that heavy government investments in the education sector have improved the country's human skills levels and resulted in a high-quality workforce for the export market.
