Malaysia’s unemployment rate has improved steadily this year to 4.5 percent according to the Department of Statistics in May 2021, as vaccination across the country ramps up. This contrasts quite significantly to the all-time high of 5.3 percent a year ago during the first movement control order (MCO 1.0).
With this concern affecting employers and employees alike, the Malaysia Career and Training Fair (MCTF) jointly organised by Jobstreet and AIC Exhibitions from 6 to 12 July 2021 attracted over 250,000 visits. The annual exhibition, held digitally for the first time this year, saw an average of over 35,000 visits each day.
“The fair was initially scheduled for 4 days, but due to overwhelming response from the jobseekers, we extended it by another 3 days. MCTF has come to be known as the premier career fair in Malaysia, and the participating companies were also eager to do their part in helping as many Malaysians as possible to be re-employed,” said Datuk William Ng, managing director of AIC Exhibitions Sdn Bhd.
MCTF this year, rebranded as MCTF Digital, saw the participation of some of the country’s top employers, including AEON, Exxonmobil, Hartalega, KLK, RHB Bank, Samsung, TDCX and Top Glove.
Visitors were able to interact directly with participating companies via a live chat function, browse and apply for jobs on-the-spot and participate in the many live forums to better prepare themselves for jobs in the new normal.
Among jobseekers, 28 percent have more than 20 years of experience, while 26 percent are fresh graduates – indicating that the pandemic has affected the most experienced professionals and fresh graduates disproportionately.
By industry, the top three industries represented by employers were banking and finance, manufacturing and oil and gas respectively.
Ms Simran Kaur, country manager of JobStreet Malaysia said, “The week-long virtual career event with over 250,000 visits far exceeded our expectations. We are glad to have done our part in helping Malaysians find jobs that matter to them, especially as we as a country navigate through the pandemic.”
Ng added, “What is clear is that despite the pandemic, many companies are still hiring, albeit selectively. There are still plenty of jobs in the market, but jobseekers must be more savvy in their approach, and be better prepared as employers are more demanding given the changing markets as well as the challenges ahead.”
