Upping wages via upskilling

THE next employee wage statistics for the formal sector will be published on Oct 25, a week after the tabling of Budget 2025. The statistics provides a view of the generally low wages of the Malaysian workforce and gives a better understanding tied to cost-of-living issues.

The government has indicated that cost-of-living issues will be the main focus of the upcoming budget as it strives to implement reforms to support economic growth through high-value industries that offer higher wages, while cutting or rationalising subsidies that many in Malaysia have grown accustomed to over the decades. There were 6.54 million employees in the formal sector in the first quarter of 2024.