ISKANDAR PUTERI: Johor expects 26,000 job opportunities to be offered statewide this year, up from 24,000 last year, as the state seeks to ensure its economic growth translates into better employment prospects for the people.
Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said 3,000 job opportunities were available at the Johor Talent Development Council (JTDC) Mega Job Fair, with almost 1,000 offering premium salaries.
"Johor recorded economic growth of 8% in 2025, the highest in the country, while investments reached RM110bil.
"However, these achievements must bring tangible benefits to the people, including better-paying jobs for local workers and economic opportunities for small and medium enterprises (SMEs)," he added.
Onn Hafiz said this in his speech before officiating the JTDC Mega Job Fair held at TMIYC Iskandar Puteri here on Sunday (Oct 25).
He added the state government would restructure JTDC and the Johor Human Capital Strategic Unit (SMI) to strengthen talent development programmes and better match jobseekers with industry requirements.
"The initiative will expand reskilling and upskilling opportunities, particularly for young people seeking employment in advanced manufacturing, energy, logistics and data centres," he said.
Onn Hafiz also said Johor had recorded 15,000 job opportunities in 2022 before the figure rose to 17,000 in 2024 and 24,000 last year.
"The state aims to increase the number to 26,000 this year, with closer collaboration between investment agencies, universities, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions, and employers," he added.
Onn Hafiz said Johor would also learn from talent development initiatives in Penang and Sarawak to improve its training programmes and prepare workers for emerging industry needs.
He added that greater public awareness of JTDC was necessary to ensure more young people benefited from its services.
Onn Hafiz said workers seeking premium salaries must also improve their skills and productivity, while the state continued pursuing its target of becoming a developed state by 2030.
