The international development sector has been hit by the U.S foreign aid freeze and subsequent further cuts followed by the ‘priority shifts’ in aid contributions announced by European countries. Although this will undoubtedly have a seriously adverse impact on the achievement of sustainable goals, development professionals and the aid community have already witnessed a systemic reduction in development-related job opportunities in recent years.
This article examines exactly how the openings for aid professionals have shrunk over the last three years. It also highlights that competition among experts is increasing and offers practical advice and strategies as to how professionals can adapt to this new environment.
Let’s dive deeper to establish how job postings have changed on DevelopmentAid – the largest platform for international development – and examine the same period over several years as well as various regions.
Comparative analysis of job postings on DevelopmentAid
An analysis of DevelopmentAid’s job postings over the 2022–2025 period reveals significant discrepancies in labor market trends. Although this data is not official statistical data, which can serve as empiric evidence of the changing situation in the aid sector, it is a relevant indicator and a useful tool to foresee certain trends.
Number of job postings by duration and employment type
Key Findings:
🔹 Long-term roles dominate, but are declining:
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- Long-term contracts (12 months or more) represented 70% of job postings in 2022 and had increased to 73% by 2025, suggesting a strong preference or requirement for long-term stability and commitment from employers.
- There has been a drop in 2025 with 12,245 postings vs. 16,406 in 2022 (-25%).
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🔹 Short-term volatility:
- 4–12-month contracts increased slightly from 2022 to 2024 (14.7% to 16.7%) but have maintained pace at 17% in 2025.
- Ultra-short contracts (≤4 months) have steadily declined, reflecting reduced ad-hoc project funding.
🔹 Permanent roles fell from 1,656 (7% of postings) in 2022 to 876 (5.2%) in 2025.
🔹 Internships/volunteering plunged from 803 roles (3.4%) in 2022 to just 20 (0.1%) in 2025, indicating reduced entry-level pathways.
Number of job postings by region
*The total number of jobs in our dataset is lower than the sum of jobs counted by region. This is because certain positions are categorized at the regional level but are not tied to a specific location, such as remote jobs or roles that span multiple regions.
Regional shifts
Numerous projects that depend heavily on American assistance had been established in vulnerable nations to maintain health systems and nutrition initiatives, and to prevent famine. The cuts by the Trump administration have had a massive effect on the regional impact of those programs.
🔹Northern America hit hardest:
Job announcements fell by 59% (7,243 in 2022 to 2,936 in 2025) which may be the result of U.S. aid cuts.
🔹 Africa & Asia:
- Africa: Peaked in 2024 (6,411 roles) but have fallen by 32% to 4,396 in 2025.
- Asia: Surged in 2024 (+58%) but have decreased by 20% in 2025, reflecting the delayed impacts of the U.S. cuts.
🔹 Europe’s mixed trends:
- EU27: Steady decline (-33% since 2022)
- Non-EU Europe: Sharp drop in 2025 (-48%), likely due to austerity in Eastern Europe/UK.
🔹 Latin America & Oceania:
Both regions have experienced a gradual reduction, with Oceania down 39% since 2022.
No region is immune with even previously resilient markets, e.g., Africa in 2024, now shrinking.
The U.S. aid cuts may have disproportionately impacted Northern America and long-term projects globally. Short-term contracts now dominate as organizations avoid long-term liabilities and remote/ multi-regional roles explain the discrepancies in totals, hinting at employer strategies to pool talent across borders.
Resilience strategies for aid professionals
Obviously, now is not the time to rely on a single, traditional donor when considering a long-term career. It may be wise to consider alternative funding organizations – foundations, for example.
On the DevelopmentAid membership page, you will find a plethora of profiles of donors and foundations—many of which offer consulting opportunities.
With one of our membership packages (“Professional”, “Professional Plus”, “All in One”), you will also gain access to thousands of job opportunities, grants for individuals and other information:
- Over 5000 job opportunities
- Sanctioned organizations
- Recorded webinars
- Shortlisted organizations
- Salary trends
- Organizations awards (“Professional Plus”, “All in One”)
- Tenders for individuals (“Professional Plus”, “All in One”)
- Grants for individuals (“Professional Plus”, “All in One”).
With DevelopmentAid, you gain access to the largest job board, advanced career tools, and personalized support, such as tailored resumes so you can stand out from the crowd.
Since each donor has specific CV formatting requirements for consultants, it is essential to tailor your CV to maximize your chances of selection because today, hiring managers have to deal with a myriad of job applications, most of which are either generic CVs or AI-generated resumes.
Did you know that recent studies show that AI-generated CVs are instantly rejected by 49% of employers because they lack donor-specific details? With this in mind, there are many open positions on the DevelopmentAid platform that state that AI-generated resumes will not be accepted.
It is therefore perfect timing to access DevelopmentAid’s CV Tailoring Service to ensure your application aligns with donor terminology, features keyword optimization, among other strategies.
Our professional CV tailoring service, run by recruiters with over 15 years of experience, will help you to advance your career. We offer individualized CV refinement, in contrast to AI-driven technologies, and guarantee a polished and powerful display of your abilities.
CV tailoring benefits
- One-on-one collaboration with a recruiter
- Optimized CV format and content
- Structured revision process, including optional consultations
- Multiple drafts, refining achievements, and professional presentation
- Tailored CV and cover letter for specific roles or general applications
CV broadcast to get in the decision maker’s eyeline
The CV broadcast service by DevelopmentAid generates new opportunities by ensuring that your CV is sent directly to potential employers.
- Send your CV to over 13,500 organizations and recruiters (development banks, NGOs, donors, government bodies)
- Customize recipients by sector and location
By becoming a member of the DevelopmentAid platform you can also stay up to date about donors’ strategies and funding opportunities (loans, tenders, grants).
In addition, our members can secure long-term career prospects by diversifying their professional connections.
Final word
The U.S. aid cuts may not be a short-lived challenge but could trigger a profound structural shift in the global funding landscape. To thrive, development professionals must target emerging regions of growth, and craft meticulously tailored proposals and CVs to meet evolving donor priorities.
Those who act decisively can increase their chances of securing a competitive edge and the best way to achieve this is to leverage the tools available via specialized Membership Packages.
See also: Supporting US organizations: up to 90 days of free access to tenders and grants
