Jobstreet: Firms still keen on hiring, job ads grew 33pc year-on-year

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 13 — Malaysian job market remained resilient despite a global supply crunch, according to Jobstreet, as firms show continued interest in hiring. The platform witnessed a surge in job advertisements, with a 33% year-on-year increase in August 2026, reflecting employers' active search for talent across various sectors, the company said.

The statistics from the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) corroborated this trend, indicating that Malaysia's labour market remains robust. Jobstreet's data revealed that the manufacturing, transport and logistics sectors accounted for the majority of job ads, constituting 12%, followed by accounting at 11%, sales at 10%, engineering at 9%, and administration and office support at 8%.

Meanwhile, the official unemployment rate saw a slight uptick, currently standing at 35.2%, highlighting a persistent skills-matching challenge. This gap suggests that while jobs are available, workers may lack the necessary skills to meet the growing demand. To navigate this situation, Jobstreet advises jobseekers to focus on acquiring relevant and transferable skills to align with emerging job opportunities.

Employers, on the other hand, are encouraged to be more transparent about their specific skill requirements and consider qualifications beyond traditional credentials to expand their talent pool. Overall, the labour force grew by 0.3% in the second quarter of 2026, adding 43.7 thousand individuals, bringing the total to 17.28 million.

Despite this growth, the Labour Force Participation Rate remained steady at 70.9%, unchanged from the previous quarter.