Trends in Kenya agriculture in relation to employment

Abstract

The objectives of this paper are to contribute to an understanding of the nature of the unemployment problem in Kenya through analysis of trends in agricultural employment in the various sub-sectors of agriculture, and secondly, on the basis of this analysis, to consider policy alternatives aimed at increasing job opportunities in agriculture. The first section describes the major movements of people that have been occurring within agriculture, and emphasises the importance of education investment in explaining movements out of agriculture. Then the differential effects of farm technology on employment in small scale and estate agriculture are compared, and the effects of changing farm structure on employment in the large mixed farming areas examined. Lastly, policy possibilities are discussed.