Urbanization without structural transformation: Evidence from Nairobi metropolitan area

Joshua Magero

No wp-2025-54, WIDER Working Paper Series from World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER)

Abstract: Using data from Kenya's 2016 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises survey, the 2017 Census of Establishments, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions, this paper examines the patterns of structural transformation as well as its drivers and barriers in Nairobi. The findings show that the pattern for employment shares by sector over time suggest movements of labour into the service sector. While the movements are largely into non-business activities, business-related activities have also picked up, an indication of the rapid expansion of the ICT sub-sector.

Keywords: Urbanization; Employment; Structural transformation; Political settlements; Kenya (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ict
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.wider.unu.edu/sites/default/files/Publ ... l-transformation.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2025-54

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in WIDER Working Paper Series from World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER) Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Siméon Rapin ().