PUTRAJAYA: Findings from the World Bank’s Malaysia Economic Monitor April 2026 report are in line with the Human Resources Ministry’s ongoing efforts to strengthen a productivity driven, skills-based employment agenda for Malaysia.
Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan said the report’s findings are aligned with the ministry’s commitment to ensuring the national employment agenda moves towards quality job creation driven by skills, productivity, and improved labour market matching.
“The World Bank report recognises that talent development, artificial intelligence readiness, and the use of accurate labour market information play a crucial role in enabling Malaysia to build a more competitive workforce prepared for economic and technological change.
“In line with the 13th Malaysia Plan, the ministry through TalentCorp is strengthening the MyMahir ecosystem, including the Future Skills Talent Council, Critical Occupations List data, and the AI Readiness Index (Airi), to better align national skills development with current and future industry needs,” he said in a statement on Thursday (May 14).
The report titled “Raising the Ceiling, Raising the Floor: The Jobs Agenda as a Productivity Agenda,” was launched today.
The report emphasised that the country’s jobs agenda must be driven by productivity, talent development, and the creation of quality jobs to ensure Malaysia continues its transition towards a high-income economy.
The report also outlined that Malaysia’s key challenge today is no longer merely creating jobs, but ensuring that the jobs created are genuinely matched to skills, productive, and capable of increasing household incomes.
It also mentioned that the ministry is working with the Education Ministry to expose students early to future career pathways, including TVET, STEM, digital, AI and other high-skilled sectors, to help them make better-informed education and career choices.
It said that the ministry would continue collaborating with government agencies and industry to strengthen skills development, training and talent programmes in a more focused, responsive and outcome based manner.
“Efforts include improving job matching through MyFutureJobs, increasing local employability and enabling more Malaysians to access higher-paying jobs.
“The ministry also continues to strengthen labour standards, occupational safety and health, industrial relations, TVET and technical talent development, including certification, job placement, wage improvement and social protection, especially for workers affected by technological and economic changes.
