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Poor pay and economic prospect pushing Kenyans to seek jobs abroad - report

Jobseekers queue for interviews in Nairobi in the past. (Photo: Courtesy)

By Alfred Onyango | Friday, June 21, 2024

Nearly 70 per cent of surveyed Kenyan respondents cited financial and economic constraints as reasons to move abroad.

The majority of Kenyan workers are increasingly seeking opportunities to exit the country in pursuit of better-paying jobs abroad, a new survey indicates.

Titled Decoding Global Talent 2024, the report says despite the global challenges such as geopolitical tensions, widespread economic concerns, and emerging virtual mobility trends from the past several years, moving abroad for work remains a dream for many workers worldwide.

"About 23 per cent of global and 60 per cent of local professionals are actively seeking jobs in other countries," the report reads.

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Narrowing down to specific countries, the survey notes that six in 10 Kenyan professionals are willing to work abroad, a higher number than the global average of one in four professionals.

Nearly 70 per cent of surveyed Kenyan respondents cited financial and economic constraints as reasons to move abroad.

"Others move due to other considerations such as career progress or work experience. In Kenya, 64 per cent cite career progress as the reason they want to move, higher than the global average of 56 per cent," the report adds.

Nearly nine in 10 (89 per cent) local respondents have expressed willingness to work remotely for foreign employers in Kenya.

On the other hand, for those who are not willing to move overseas, more than 45 per cent cited not being able to bring family or life partners as one of the reasons barring their relocation.

The other three biggest reasons identified by Kenyan respondents for not relocating are the cost of relocation (43 per cent) and concerns about personal safety and security (34 per cent).

The survey further shows that the top 10 work destinations for Kenyans are the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Qatar, France, and Switzerland.

However, despite the high number of Kenyan professionals looking for greener pastures elsewhere, the country is also attracting foreign nationals who are seeking green pastures.

Kenya

Kenya ranks 75th in terms of its overall attractiveness to global workers, while people from Uganda, South Africa, Nigeria, Belgium, and Estonia would like to come to Kenya to work.

According to the report, some reasons why people are choosing to relocate to Kenya include the country's welcoming culture and inclusivity (50 per cent), quality of job opportunities (49 per cent), quality of life (37 per cent), and a family-friendly environment (34 per cent).

The report was published by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), The Network, The Stepstone Group, and local partner The African Talent Company (TATC), and is based on survey data from more than 150,000 workforce respondents from 188 countries, including Kenya.