Most employers in Malaysia still cautious on hiring

Most employers in Malaysia remain cautious on hiring given a higher than expected COVID-19 case count and the emergence of the Omicron variant. 

The majority of employers are still waiting for January 2022 to start hiring new staff and utilise the incentives under Jamin Kerja Keluarga Malaysia (JaminKerja) programme, an initiative by the Malaysian government that aims to create 600,000 jobs.

“[Although] the government’s decision to open up the economy provided employers with the motivation for recovery, the shortage of manpower in sectors shunned by locals is hindering such efforts,” said Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) president Datuk Dr Syed Hussain Syed Husman.

“Employers have serious concerns on the issue of manpower shortage, especially for critical sectors such as the plantation, construction, manufacturing, food and beverage, tourism and large retailers,” he told The Malaysian Reserve. 

READ: Malaysia proposes flexible and shorter work weeks for women

Businesses have had to resort to cost-cutting measures to keep afloat, making decisions such as “moving to less expensive premises, reducing labour costs such as pay cuts and freeze on bonuses and pay review, freeze on hiring, not replacing staff that resign/retire and as a last resort, reducing the number of staff,” he noted.