Consultant : Labour Market Assessment

CONSULTANT: LABOUR MARKET ASSESSMENT IOM - International Organization for Migration ABOUT IOM The International Organization for Migration is a Related Organization of the United Nations and the world's leading UN agency specializing in migration. Since its establishment in 1951, IOM has worked alongside governmental, intergovernmental, and non-governmental partners to advance humane and orderly migration that benefits all people. We support governments and migrants through tailored services and strategic advisory work. IOM believes that a thriving workplace culture enables staff to achieve their best work while contributing to unlocking migration's full potential. THE OPPORTUNITY You'll join a critical initiative addressing labour dynamics along the Kenya-Ethiopia corridor, an economically vital zone spanning northern Kenya and southern Ethiopia. This region is marked by cross-border trade, infrastructure growth, labour movement, and expanding urban hubs. Significant investments in transport, energy, logistics, agribusiness, and services are reshaping labour demand, skill needs, and job creation across the corridor. THE CHALLENGE While opportunities abound, the region faces pressing obstacles: high youth joblessness, a predominant informal economy, misaligned workforce skills, unequal labour force participation between men and women, and vulnerabilities tied to climate stress, displacement, and cross-border movement. Kenya and Ethiopia, both major sources of migrant workers heading to Gulf Cooperation Council nations, are actively negotiating bilateral labour migration agreements to expand pathways toward dignified employment. Yet gaps remain significant. Structured, gender-responsive, and inclusive labour mobility frameworks between these countries and the GCC are insufficient. This vacuum has fueled irregular migration, worker exploitation, and restricted access to quality jobs. Gender-sensitive, rights-based agreements protecting migrant workers—especially women and youth facing abuse, inadequate social safety nets, and poor working conditions—remain underdeveloped. The State Department for Labour and Skills Development, with IOM support, is commissioning this Labour Market Assessment to build evidence on current and future labour supply and demand across the Kenya-Ethiopia corridor. Your findings will shape targeted programmes, policy conversations, and development of the Kenya-Ethiopia Bilateral Labour Migration Agreement. YOUR ROLE You'll report directly to the head of the Directorate of Labour Migration Management and partner closely with the Labour Mobility and Social Inclusion team at IOM Kenya. All your deliverables will undergo review and approval by the Directorate of Labour Migration Management and IOM Kenya leadership.