Nairobi, Aug. 25 -- More than three-quarters of Kenya's chief executive officers have signalled little appetite to expand full-time jobs in the coming months, dealing a fresh blow to thousands of jobless graduates in an increasingly crowded labour market.

Findings of the latest Central Bank of Kenya's CEOs Survey suggest that 77.1 percent of firms are planning to keep employee numbers unchanged in the third quarter, the highest in the series dating back to at least January 2021.

It exceeds the previous high of 75.3 percent recorded in July 2024, when businesses were operating amid intense political and economic uncertainty triggered by youth-led protests against tax increases and high cost of living.

The latest reading means the corpor...