Malaysia saw a substantial surge in online job advertisements in the second quarter of 2023, increasing by 23.5 per cent compared to the first quarter. Chief statistician of the Department of Statistics Malaysia Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin highlighted that the number of vacancies soared to 261,231, showcasing a noteworthy expansion compared to the preceding quarter’s 211,509 vacancies. “Further disaggregation by month, most of the advertisements were posted in May 2023 with 109,262 vacancies. “Additionally, there were 103,826 and 48,143 vacancies in June and April 2023, respectively,” he said in a recent statement.
During this period, 70,571 establishments offered job opportunities, indicating a substantial rise from the 55,006 reported in the previous quarter. The year-on-year increase in job vacancies reached 29.3% in 2Q23. However, it is slightly lower than the 32.9% annual rise quarter-on-quarter.
Breaking down the job market by occupation category, professionals dominated with 48.1% of the share, totalling 125,625 vacancies. Following closely were technicians and associate professionals (18.3%), managers (15.1%) and service and sales workers (6.9%). The most sought-after positions included advertising and marketing professionals, managing directors (MDs) and chief executives, administrative associate professionals, accountants and auditors, and software developers.
In terms of economic sectors, the services sector took the lead with 59% of job vacancies, totalling 154,134. Wholesale and retail trade led the way in vacancies within sectors, claiming 18.2% or 47,597 jobs. Notably, all economic activities, except for a few, experienced an increase in job vacancies during 2Q23.
Mohd Uzir then shed light on the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) category, highlighting that advertising and marketing professionals were in high demand, followed by administrative associate professionals and software developers. “From the perspective of popular jobs offered in the TVET category, advertising and marketing professionals registered the highest number of vacancies with 20,846,” he affirmed. Meanwhile, in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) category, technicians, project managers and software engineers secured the top positions. The critical occupation list (COL) showcased the greatest demand for advertising and marketing professionals, managing directors and chief executives, and accountants and auditors.
At the state level, Kuala Lumpur continued to lead with 22.7% of the share, recording 59,222 vacancies. Selangor secured the second spot with 7.8% (20,438 vacancies), followed by Johor with 4.4% (11,436 vacancies). Conversely, Perlis had the lowest number of vacancies, with only 91 advertisements in 2Q23.
The report also emphasised the growing importance of both soft and hard skills in the job market. Soft skills such as proficiency in English, effective communication, Bahasa Malaysia proficiency, planning capabilities and marketing skills were highly sought after. On the technical front, Mandarin proficiency, analysis abilities, proficiency in Microsoft Office, filing expertise and project management skills were highlighted as crucial. The report concluded that continuous development and alignment of these skills with market demands are essential to enhance job opportunities for seekers in the dynamic job market.
