The labour force in Kenya experiences structural unemployment, which is long term, as well as chronic unemployment which resulted due to a of lack of skills, language barriers, discrimination in the labour market, economic changes that cause the rise and fall of industries, unions and minimum wage laws among others. Other causes of unemployment is the unequal distribution of labour across urban and rural areas; automation of business processes; poor transition of devolved services where education may not mean available opportunities for employment at the county level; poor demand for a diversified labour force; cultural prohibitions that prevent acquisition of skills, owning of assets and inheritance especially by women, youth and persons with disability; seasonal demand for labour in some currently labour intensive industries like agriculture; low levels of innovation; global economic recession and; underutilization of the capacity of firms in Kenya.
