Nearly 4 in 10 M’sian workers have no savings buffer

Nearly 39% of Malaysian workers have no savings buffer, indicating financial fragility when unexpected expenses arise according to a global study. Despite performing well overall, Malaysians struggle most in financial resilience, scoring 4.26 out of 5 on Zurich Insurance Group's personal resilience index. This lags behind the global average of 4.11.

Only 51% of workers globally feel confident managing finances for several months without income, though Malaysians rated somewhat higher than the world average. Financial resilience is crucial as it enables people to handle setbacks like lost income or emergencies without severe impact on overall well-being. Employees with higher resilience report twice the job performance of those with lowest resilience, and resilience is 2.5 times more predictive of job performance than income.

Malaysians fared better than many countries on physical health and willingness to adapt, scoring highest in motivation to learn new skills. Digital adaptability, including use of AI, was also high at 37% of Malaysian workers. Age also impacted resilience scores, with those aged 18-34 scoring higher at 4.30 versus 4.07 for those 50+.

Overall, the study reveals a paradox where Malaysians appear adaptable yet many lack financial cushioning to handle life's unexpected curveballs. Experts advise gradually building emergency savings, even a smaller amount can provide some financial protection.