10 ways the global development job market shifted in 2025

This year has been one of the most disruptive in history for the development jobs market. The sudden decision to cut much of the U.S. aid budget led to a huge number of immediate layoffs across the U.S. Agency for International Development, followed by U.S. INGOs and private implementers. United Nations agencies then felt the impact. In May this year, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres outlined plans for thousands of job cuts that would eliminate 20% of positions across the U.N. Secretariat. U.N. peacekeepers are among those facing job losses — an announcement by the U.N. in October stated that due to the loss of funding, largely linked to the U.S. foreign aid cuts, around 25% of the 68,000-strong workforce would be eliminated. In response to the budget cuts, many organizations implemented hiring freezes early in the year and continue to recruit cautiously. The number of jobs posted on Devex’s own job board dropped by around 25% compared to 2024. Where there was hiring, employer priorities and approaches had changed: Local talent was in demand, as was fundraising expertise, and many opportunities were short-term gigs. Here are 10 ways the global development job market shifted this year. Declining demand for traditional leadership roles Project directors and, even more so, chiefs of party roles saw a dramatic reduction in job postings this year. Data analysis of roles posted on Devex’s job board found a 94.1% decrease for chief of party roles compared to the same period last year. Hiring in global health took a big hit Some sectors were more affected than others by the hiring slowdown, and jobs in global health saw the greatest decrease. From Jan. 1 to Dec. 4, there were 3,679 jobs in this sector advertised on Devex — a decrease of 45.3% compared to 2024. Over the same period, there were 5,200 jobs posted in social/ inclusive development — a drop of 33.4% compared to the previous year. Banking and finance was the sector with the most opportunities, with 6,514 roles advertised, although job postings were still down 23.5% compared to 2024. Locally led development moved from rhetoric to action There was a growing demand for local expertise. “The localization agenda is taking root,” said Angela Muchiru, group human capital director at Amref Health Africa. The shift away from international NGOs and partners and toward local groups was one factor that impacted the development job market in Africa this year. Jamie Adams, a managing consultant with CA Global, told Devex that development finance institutions, impact funds, and trade institutions are no longer limiting local professionals to execution roles. Fewer international hires With organizations working on limited budgets and looking to hire locally, development roles overseas became scarce. According to Fatema Z. Sumar, Harvard Kennedy School adjunct lecturer in public policy and executive director at the Harvard Center for International Development, the old model — which involved expensive contracts for overseas hires — is declining. New development hubs emerged Washington, D.C., a long-time jobs hub for the U.S. development sector, was hit hard by the closure of USAID and layoffs at implementing organizations. Meanwhile, U.N. staffers departed Manhattan’s urban canyons for Kenya's leafy capital as U.N. agencies looked to save money by accelerating the transfer of staff to more affordable cities in the global south. Outside of the U.N. system, new talent hubs are emerging in Nigeria, Rwanda and Morocco, according to Janaina Tavares, global head of people and culture at ActionAid International. A shift toward the gig economy A greater percentage of roles in 2025 were for short-term contracts, accounting for more than 41% of all opportunities, according to Devex’s job board data. At the same time, many affected by the USAID layoffs turned to consulting as a means of staying and earning in the sector. “A big trend I see happening is the shift from full-time employment … to what is traditionally called a portfolio career where people have a number of different projects and contracts that they cobble together,” said Nick Martin, CEO of social enterprise TechChange. Revenue-focused roles were prioritized Unsurprisingly, where there was hiring, there was a focus on revenue-generating roles. According to Katrina Roxas, director of Talent Solutions at Devex, employers were looking for experts to create a strategy around specific types of partners, such as foundations or institutions. From U.N. agencies to INGOs, funding diversification was the priority, and this drove hiring in areas such as fundraising, donor engagement, strategic partnerships, and high-impact philanthropy. The pivot away from the sector’s traditional institutional donors also changed how business development roles looked in 2025. Entry-level pathways disappeared Traditional entry points for the next generation of global development professionals all but disappeared as internships and training programs were put on hold. Katherine Raphaelson, president of the U.S. chapter of the global Society for International Development network, said that the vast majority of her organization’s members had been affected by this year’s budget cuts and, as a result, almost all internship programs were put on hold. More junior roles and lower salaries across the board Mid- and entry-level roles made up a slightly larger share of job postings, accounting for 64.5% of all positions, with proportionately fewer senior and executive roles, according to Devex’s data. And across the board, there was a significant decline in average salaries in almost all the key sectors analyzed by Devex. AI continued to transform how development professionals work As many teams made do with fewer resources, they continued to utilize artificial intelligence to augment human capabilities, automate repetitive tasks, and enable data-driven decision-making. Joel Levesque, a veteran development consultant, said that in his assessment of the sector post-U.S. aid cuts, “business development is where the shift [to AI] is most visible, [but] AI is quietly transforming workflows across every role where it’s allowed.” Sign up to Devex Career Hub for global development’s top jobs, expert career advice, and practical tips to help you do more good for more people.