Malaysians have more confidence in job market

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian employers and talent have a more optimistic outlook on the job market for the coming year, according to JobStreet.com's Job Outlook Report 2018.

The report said 30% of Malaysian employers surveyed indicated an increase in hiring activity, compared with 18% of employers in the previous year, while 15% of those surveyed said they would maintain their hiring rate in 2018.

There was also a 5% drop in "hiring freeze" for 2018, which affirms the growing momentum in hiring activity, according to the report.

It added that the growing confidence correlates to a 9% year-on-year increase in job postings, in which online migration of non-executive job postings contributed 3% to the overall growth.

“We see both employers and candidates sharing a more optimistic outlook towards the job market this year. The key drivers of this sentiment are the rise of start-ups, expansion of local businesses, and entry of foreign companies that will lead to job creation and the need for diversified skills. 

"Therefore, we can expect both job hunting and hiring activity to pick up in 2018,” said Chook Yuh Yng, Country Manager of JobStreet.com Malaysia.

The report also revealed that the top five benefits desired by employees are health/medical insurance, transportation allowance, medical coverage for family/dependents, pension/retirement fund and flexible working hours.