Laid-off workers insured under Socso re-employed in Malaysia

Out of 100,000 employees insured under Socso who have been laid off, about 31% or 30,977 have found new jobs.
By: | December 15, 2020

Another 93,204 have been re-employed thanks to a hiring-incentive scheme, human resource minister Datuk Seri M Saravanan told the Malaysian parliament. 

This hiring-incentive scheme by the Social Security Organisation (Socso) –Penjana Kerjaya – increases the hiring incentive for employees with a RM1,600 (US$395) salary and above from a flat rate of RM800 (US$197) monthly to 40% of their salary, capped at a maximum of RM4,000 (US$987) monthly.

Saravanan said the ministry would continue with this scheme, adding, “To increase job opportunities for people with disabilities, the long-term unemployed and retrenched workers, employers will be given an additional incentive of 20%, bringing the total incentive to 60%.” 

Also, Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Berhad (PSMB or Human Resource Development Berhad) has helped 62,255 get into trainee programmes for upskilling.  

Further, to organise career fairs next year, the HR ministry has requested the finance ministry to allocate RM30.5 million (US$7.5 million). 

READ: Malaysia maintains WFH order in Putrajaya

Saravanan also said his ministry will liaise with the home ministry on data sharing with the aim to reduce foreign-worker numbers, thereby creating more job opportunities for locals. 

The budget for the HR ministry was passed later at the committee stage, with a majority of supporting votes.