Kenyans in the US Ranked Third Most Industrious Foreigners

Kenyans in the US Ranked Third Most Industrious Foreigners

Statistics from Bloomberg reveal that Kenyan immigrants working in the US are the third most diligent foreign workers.

Ghanaians and Bulgarians topped the list at 75.2 and 74.2 per cent respectively, while Kenyans earned 73.4 per cent. Other African countries in the top ten included Ethiopia, Egypt, Nigeria, and Liberia. This demonstrates that Africans overall are the most productive immigrants in the US, outranking those from Mexico and Central America, who make up over 70 per cent of foreign nationals in the nation.

Remittances from abroad are Kenya’s leading foreign exchange generator, surpassing agricultural exports and tourism. In 2022, the amount of money sent home increased 8.34 per cent to $4.027 billion (Sh560 billion). This was close to the total exports, which brought in $5.77 billion (Sh810.68bn) in foreign currency during the same time period. According to the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), the US accounted for 51 per cent of remittances, with new markets in the Middle East emerging.

Despite Kenya’s strong academic performance and aptitude, the nation’s high unemployment rate has seen a drain of talent in various fields to other countries. The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) reports that at least 30 per cent of Kenyans employed overseas occupy positions in technical jobs, such as engineering, construction, and information technology. Even so, many of these individuals are involved in menial labour abroad.

In the Middle East, the bulk of these workers are homekeepers; for instance, NITA’s latest data indicates that 79% of Kenyan females in the UAE are employed as housekeepers. Fionah Umulisa, Grey Regional Director for East Africa, anticipates that the quantity of Kenyan expatriates is likely to expand in the near future, particularly in the IT field.

“More Kenyan professionals are looking outside for job opportunities. High literacy levels, excellent work competence and high IT savvy are making them more attractive to the international job market,” Omulusa said.