PUTRAJAYA: The total number of jobs increased by 2.1 per cent to 8.94 million openings in the fourth quarter of 2023 from 8.76 million jobs during the same period in the year before, the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) said."
Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the number of filled positions also saw a 2.1 per cent 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 per cent.
"More than half of job vacancies in Q4 2023 were in the semi-skilled category, comprising 55.5 per cent followed by skilled (25.3 per cent ) and 19.2 per cent in the low-skilled category," he said in a statement today.
He said the filled positions rate remained high at 97.9 per cent while job creation in Q4 2023 increased by 0.6 per cent.
Analysing the filled jobs scenario in Q4 2023, Mohd Uzir said the agriculture sector registered the highest growth at 3.6 per cent, followed by manufacturing (2.4 per cent) and services (2.2 per cent).
Mohd Uzir 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 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.
He said the fourth quarter of 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. – Bernama
