The global development workforce is undergoing a profound transformation. Following the Trump administration’s sweeping freeze on U.S. foreign aid in January 2025, hiring across United Nations agencies has collapsed — and with it, the predictability of many career paths in U.N. institutions.
Assessing the Trump effect on U.N. agencies, a new Devex Career Account report, reveals a dramatic shift: since the freeze was announced, the number of U.N. jobs posted on Devex has dropped by 43.3% compared to the same period in 2024.
For some of the most prominent U.N. agencies, the situation is even more stark. The UN Refugee Agency has seen an 83.4% decline in postings, and the World Health Organization, which enacted a hiring freeze after the U.S. announced its withdrawal from the agency, has cut its job ads by 81.1%.
UNHCR High Commissioner Filippo Grandi described the moment bluntly: “I have never, ever seen such a challenge due to the lack of resources, cuts, freezes, and uncertainty.”
The comment reflects a system-wide reality — one that is fundamentally altering how development professionals must navigate their careers.
This isn’t just a drop in job volume; it’s a shift in structure. The report finds that long-term consulting roles have fallen by nearly 67%, while full-time staff positions have decreased by more than 44%.
Agencies are increasingly leaning on short-term contracts, which now make up the bulk of the limited opportunities that remain. It’s a pivot away from the stability many development professionals have long relied on.
Geographically, the impact is widespread. Among the hardest-hit countries are Jordan, Ukraine, and Ethiopia, each with job posting declines exceeding 50%. Even the United States has not been spared, with 431 fewer U.N. roles advertised — a 36% drop from the previous year.
Yet the picture is not entirely bleak. Some agencies, such as the International Organization for Migration and UN-Habitat, have managed to increase postings — though overwhelmingly for short-term assignments. IOM, for example, has posted 70% more roles than last year but has shifted heavily toward temporary contracts while reducing long-term consulting opportunities.
To understand the full scope of the shift and how you can position yourself for success in this new environment, download the full report now.
About the author
Raquel Alcega
Raquel Alcega leads the data research and analysis at Devex, providing advice to organizations on the latest funding and programmatic trends that shape the global development space. She also heads up the news business content strategy and designs internal knowledge management processes. Prior to joining Devex’s Barcelona office, she worked in business development in Washington, D.C., and as a researcher in Russia and Mexico.
