Total jobs in Q4 2023 up by 2.1%

The total number of jobs increased by 2.1% to 8.94 million openings in the fourth quarter of 2023 (Q4 2023) from 8.76 million jobs during the same period in the year before, said the statistics department.

Chief Statistician Uzir Mahidin said the number of filled positions also saw a 2.1% increase to 8.74 million positions in Q4 2023 compared to 8.56 million in Q4 2022 while the number of vacant positions decreased by 1.1%.

“More than half of job vacancies in Q4 2023 were in the semi-skilled category, comprising 55.5%, followed by the skilled category at 25.3% and the low-skilled category at 19.2%,” he said in a statement, reported Bernama.

Uzir said the filled positions rate remained high at 97.9% while job creation in Q4 2023 increased by 0.6%.

Analysing the filled jobs scenario in Q4 2023, Uzir said the agriculture sector registered the highest growth at 3.6%, followed by manufacturing (2.4%) and services (2.2%).

He also said a total of 31,100 new positions were created to meet domestic demand and industrial needs in Q4 2023.

“The overall demand for labour in the economic sector in the second quarter of 2023 (Q2 2023) continues to show a positive trend despite facing risks of global economic slowdown, leading to increased job opportunities and strengthening the labour market in Malaysia,” he said.

Uzir said Q4 2023 saw moderate growth amid the lingering macroeconomic headwinds, geopolitical conflict and cautious business sentiment going into the year 2024.

“Nevertheless, the labour market is expected to remain stable in the upcoming quarter as a result of investments and growth in the majority of industries,” he added.