The Directorate is charged with the following functions:

1. Implementation of employment policies, programmes and projects;
2. Enforcement of national standards on labour migration and employment services;
3. Develop strategies to mainstream issues of gender, youth, the marginalized, and persons with disabilities into employment programmes;
4. Ensure compliance with the Labour legislations on employment;
5. Advise on formulation and review of employment and diaspora employment Policies, regulation and procedures; and
6. Provision of advice on ratification and domestication of ILO conventions on employment.

The Directorate is organized into the following two (2) Departments whose functions are as indicated below: –

The functions of the Regional Employment Offices entails:

1. Promotion of employment creation;
2. Provision of advise to both the national and county governments on locally available employment opportunities and policy issues concerning employment;
3. Provision of advise to both the national and county governments on available employment opportunities in foreign countries;
4. Development of project proposals for promoting gainful employment including monitoring and assessment of job creation programmes and income generating activities in both the formal and informal sectors;
5. Registration of persons seeking employment;
6. Development and implementation of a framework for monitoring all job opportunities created in projects and programmes in the country;
7. Development and implementation of a framework to facilitate increased employment in the public and private sectors;
8. Enforcement of employment rules and related legislations;
9. Monitoring implementation of employment policies and programmes;
10. Dissemination of information on available job opportunities to job seekers;
11. Facilitate the employment and placement of job seekers in formal and informal employment locally
12. Facilitation and promotion of equal opportunity employment practices
13. Monitoring Employment and unemployment trends in the country
14. Monitor and evaluate employment opportunities and trends at international levels for Kenyans;
15. Oversee compliance to foreign employment policies, rules and regulations, and ILO conventions on employment;
16. Canvassing for jobs and carrying out placements;
17. Provision of advise to county governments on locally available employment opportunities and policy issues concerning employment;
18. Collecting data for Labour Management Information Systems (LMIS);
19. Information point on foreign employments for locals including confirmation of validity of agents;
20. Carrying out capacity building and counselling of job seekers;
21. Placement of interns and job seekers;
22. Ensuring compliance on employment policies, rules, standards and regulations;
23. Inspection of private employment agencies to ensure compliance
24. Monitoring and evaluation of employment trends, creation and promotion strategies, plans and programmes in the Regions;
25. Ensuring Recruitment Agencies comply with the Employment Rules and Regulations;
26. Initiating socio-economic studies on employment creation;
27. Coordination of employment services in the region;
28. Preparation of quarterly reports on matters handled within the region and submitting them to the headquarters; and
29. Undertake due diligence on private employment agencies seeking registration.

The functions of the department entails: –

1. Initiating development of Bilateral Labour Agreements;
2. Coordinating participation in Regional and International Meetings;
3. Ensure generation and safe custody of reports from labour attaché’s;
4. Administration and management of Foreign Employment and Labour Migration; and
5. Provision of Secretarial services to Inter-Ministerial Vetting Committee.

The department is further subdivided into the following two divisions: –

1. Registration of Employment Agencies; and
2. Foreign Employment Services.