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.