Malaysia’s Minister of Human Resources, V. Sivakumar said efforts are being made to reduce the country’s reliance on foreign workers and all agencies under his ministry is focused on ensuring 100 per cent local employers in crucial sectors. “The dependency on foreign workers is still high, hence, I am encouraging employers to focus on absorbing locals,” he said.
Sivakumar added that the unemployment rate Malaysia continues to fall, with 3.5% recorded in the first quarter of 2023 compared to 3.6% in the fourth quarter of 2022. He attributed this to a significant shift in job-seeking trends and with various initiatives being implemented by the government to assist job seekers aged 40 and above. “There is indeed a changing trend in job searches, especially after Covid-19; many people lost their jobs and then sought employment opportunities that match their interests and skills,” he said.
Sivakumar said data from the MYFutureJobs Portal showed that 455,350 job seekers nationwide had been successfully placed in various sectors from 2022 until September 2023. He added that the trend was a positive indication that more people were starting to work while the unemployment rate was decreasing.
